Mike Moroney hopes to have two runners in the Australian Guineas but fears Japanese Emperor may miss out on the Group 1 race at Flemington.
Japanese Emperor and Elkington Road have been entered for the 1600m contest on Saturday.
Elkington Road is safely in the field limit of 16 plus four emergencies sitting as number 10 in the ballot order while Japanese Emperor is number 20.
Both horses also appear in the nominations for the Group 1 Randwick Guineas in Sydney on Saturday.
Moroney is proposing a gear change for Elkington Road following the gelding’s first-up fourth to Elliptical in the Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on February 18.
“I’ll probably put a visor or blinkers on him,” Moroney said.
“He got his head up in the air and wanted to run away from them a bit. He’s had enough practise now not to be doing that.
“We need to find a length and in blinkers, that’s what we’ll be hoping for, but mind you, he might need more than a length with Jacquinot in the race.”
Elkington Road won his first two starts on heavy ground at Sandown and Flemington last year before running tenth in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas.
He had one more spring start, finishing second in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week.
Japanese Emperor has only had three starts, and like his stablemate was successful on heavy ground on debut at Sandown.
After one more start when beating only one home in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m), Japanese Emperor was sent for a spell.
He returned to finish a fading sixth in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) on February 11.
Moroney said Japanese Emperor was still ‘pretty chubby’ and needed hard gallops to bring him on.
“He had a gallop on Saturday and one of Tuesday as he’s still pretty chubby,” Moroney said.
“He came to win the other day, but knocked up, and I looked at him and thought that he had not even had a run.
“It’s probably would not be a bad thing if he doesn’t make the Guineas as there’s probably a race for him the following week.”
