The Lindsay Park team had high expectations for imported galloper Que Tempesta when he began his spring campaign, aiming for both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup. However, after three runs without securing a major result, he was sent for a spell.

Now back in work, the Irish-bred stayer will line up in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday. The race will serve as a stepping stone to either the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington or the Group 3 Easter Cup at Caulfield.

Que Tempesta caught the eye on his Australian debut, charging home for fifth in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield. He then attempted to earn a Caulfield Cup berth via the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) but finished midfield. His spring campaign ended with an underwhelming run in the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) in Sydney.

Trainer Ben Hayes remains optimistic about his return.

“We were aiming for a Cup campaign, but he just wasn’t ready,” Hayes said.

“The break has done him good. He’ll improve with this run, but we have to start somewhere, and with his rating, these are the types of races we have to target.”

Hayes said they had hoped to get Que Tempesta back to the races earlier in the autumn, but a minor issue delayed his preparation.

“He was supposed to run sooner, but a small setback held him up,” he said.

“He’s had three jump-outs, but the last one was more like a track gallop with only one other horse in it. Still, he had a good hit-out, and we’re happy with him.”

If he runs well on Saturday, the stable will likely push on to the Australian Cup. If not, the Easter Cup could be the more suitable option.

“At his best, he’s got the ability to be competitive in these kinds of races,” Hayes said.