Weather conditions in Melbourne could dictate whether Nadal earns another crack at Hedged in next Saturday’s $200,000 Standish Handicap at Flemington.
The Ciaron Maher camp is continuing to train the five-year-old Xtravagant gelding with the Group 3 sprint firmly in mind, though the forecast remains front of mind for connections.
With temperatures expected to exceed 40 degrees during the week before easing on raceday, alongside the potential for showers, assistant trainer Jack Turnbull indicated Nadal would need the right conditions to take his place.
“It’s an option, six furlongs down the straight (appeals), but it’s more weather-dependent,” Turnbull said from Geelong, where the surface rated a Good 3 on Saturday.
“If the ground was to be like today, you’d probably wait. We’d love a drop of rain and we’re under no pressure, because he could really just keep poking along through autumn and through winter even.
“He’s being prepped for it, but whether or not we do go, we’ll have to see.”
Nadal’s most encouraging run of the preparation came when second to Hedged in the Listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) on Boxing Day, and Turnbull said the stable took plenty of confidence from the effort despite the 2½-length margin.
“He was good, he just got back and had to run through a bit of traffic, but the winner was pretty impressive,” Turnbull said.
“It was much better. He’s probably at his peak for fitness, now we’ve just got maintain that and hold his action.
“He went out last prep for knee issues, so it’s a matter of us just holding that balance, which we have.
“He’s been fine at the moment, but to run him on a fast track would probably be a chance to undo him.”
Should Nadal not take his place, Maher could still be represented in the Standish with the stable considering a start for Extratwo.
The six-year-old Toronado mare also lined up in the Christmas Stakes, finishing sixth and a length behind Nadal, and Turnbull said several options remain on the table.
“Either we run there or there’s a 1200 or a 1400 (benchmark) 84 the week after we could claim in,” Turnbull said.
“She’s on the borderline of being a Listed, Group 3 mare in the right class and race, but we just need to place her as best we can.”
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