Consistent sprinter Marble Nine will return to Flemington on Saturday as trainers Leon and Troy Corstens, alongside Will Larkin, look to fine-tune him for a more significant target next month.

He’ll tackle The Funky Farm Sprint (1100m) as a stepping stone to the Listed Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final (1200m) set to be run on July 5 at the same venue.

Marble Nine has been in excellent form, winning a benchmark 84 event at Flemington on June 7, following a strong fifth in the Listed Straight Six three weeks prior.

Although Saturday’s race is over a slightly shorter trip, Larkin said it serves a purpose in maintaining the gelding’s conditioning.

“He’s going extremely well,” Larkin said.

“Ideally, we didn’t want to be stepping back to the 1100 metres from the 1200 (metres), but it was a suitable race to keep his fitness up to the mark for the final.

“He is going up in grade from an (benchmark) 84 to an open handicap, so it is a harder race, but he’s in good form and I’m sure he’s going to run well.”

Flemington has proven to be a favourable setting for Marble Nine, having already collected a win and two placings there down the straight track.

“He’s just so honest and he’s got that racing style where he takes luck out of the equation and goes up on the speed and runs out a strong 1200 metres,” Larkin said.

“The 1100 metres is probably a bit on the sharp side, it is in between his range, but he is a winner at that trip at Caulfield, and he is a winner up the straight as well.

“He’s got the right racing style for straight racing. He sits up and then can build into it.”

Marble Nine drops to 55kg on Saturday and will again be partnered by Liam Riordan, who steered him to his most recent success.

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