Sydney’s sodden autumn has thwarted the campaigns of many horses, but Shane Nichols considers himself fortunate with Streets Of Avalon.
The Mornington trainer wanted to have a crack at the $600,000 Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) with the seven-year-old only to be deterred by another wet track at Randwick.
Instead, Streets Of Avalon will run in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield.
The $200,000 event will be run at the track and distance he has logged half of his 10 career wins, including a C.F. Orr Stakes and Futurity Stakes at Group 1 level, along with the 2019 edition of Saturday’s race.
“We didn’t target the Victoria Handicap with him, even though he’s won one a few years ago, just because of the weight scale,” Nichols said.
“We did plan to go the All Aged, but the track’s just too wet there, so I thought we might as well run around in this.”
Streets Of Avalon will carry the 59kg top weight and is conceding weight to all runners, including 5kg to favourite Ayrton, which does concern Nichols but he thinks his $2.3m-earner is going as well as ever.
At his last start, Streets Of Avalon beat home all bar gun geldings Zaaki and I’m Thunderstruck in the $5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) when the $201 outsider of the field.
Immediately behind him was Mr Brightside, who won the Doncaster Mile at his following start.
“For a horse who is nought from 10 at a mile, you’d have to say that his last run was one of his best runs,” Nichols said.
“The form around him is awesome. He seems to be going super, his works’ good and I’ve got no complaints with him.
“Ayrton is going to be hard to hard to beat, but from a low draw on what will probably be a firm deck late in the day, he’ll run pretty well.”
Streets Of Avalon, who is a $12 chance with TAB, will be ridden by Zac Spain and start from barrier one, which is to the immediate inside of $2.60 favourite Ayrton (Jamie Kah).