Danny O’Brien is hoping that the weather and natural improvement can combine positively for consistent performer Starelle and promising two-year-old Stupendo.
Stupendo won on debut at Flemington on 12 December but faces a different task in the $125,000 Aussie Nugget (1100m) in a final lead-up to the Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) seven days later.
After winning on a Good surface at Flemington, the forecast of between 25 and 75 millimetres of rain over Thursday and Friday could a very different prospect for the son of Supido.
“As you’d expect, he hasn’t been exposed to it in Melbourne so we’d be guessing how he’d handle it,” O’Brien told RSN.
“He’s the right style of horse, he’s really sensible and he’s got a good constitution.
“He coped with that run really well and looks to have improved out of it.
“He ticks all the boxes for what you’d need from a two-year-old.”
Stupendo is rated a $21 chance for the $2 million event on 15 January with Coolangatta at $1.70.
“He needs to take the next step there on Saturday and win impressively if he’s going to be a factor against Coolangatta the following week,” O’Brien concedes.
For Saturday’s race, Craig Williams retains the ride on Stupendo who holds the second line of betting at $3.70 with the Annabel Neasham-trained Swiss Exile the $2.80 favourite with TAB.
Williams also goes aboard Starelle who has finished in the placings in each of the four-year-old mare’s past four starts and all at black-type level in Melbourne.
She’ll start in the $250,000 The Wave on Saturday carrying 56.5 kilograms.
“Starelle has got good enough wet track form from when she’s raced on it in the past,” O’Brien said.
“We did the same thing with Paradee last year who had very similar form and it’s a very good prizemoney race for Magic Millions horses.
“She comes into it very well a weight-for-age, well treated.
Starelle has won just once in sixteen starts but placed on seven other occasions.
“She does have a poor winning strike-rate, but she’s run a hell of a lot of good races and been placed in them,” O’Brien said.
“Hopefully she can get another win on the board on Saturday.”
Starelle is at $5 for The TAB Wave in an open betting race.