Phillip Stokes heads into the Golden Mile at Bendigo with concerns that topweight Arran Bay may be a run short for Saturday’s 1600m Listed race.

Arran Bay, a proven galloper second-up, is stepping up from 1200m to the mile, following a disappointing first-up run at Moonee Valley last month where he finished near the rear. Stokes believes the performance is one to overlook, citing the poor track conditions that day.

“We were pretty worried with the way the track was playing that day,” Stokes said. “We said to just look after him, so he went to the rail and went around for a look.”

Arran Bay, who has won nine of his 35 starts, has earned over $850,000 in prize money. He will be making his first appearance at Bendigo and has progressed from racing over shorter trips in Adelaide to now competing over 1600m and even 2000m, including a third-place finish last November behind Torranzino in the Group 3 Easter Cup.

“He’s good at the mile and he did run third over 2000 metres last time in,” Stokes said.

Stokes is confident Arran Bay will run well second-up over the mile, though he believes the horse still has more to give. After the Golden Mile, Arran Bay will head to the newly renamed The Cummings Stakes, a Group 3 race at Morphettville on May 10.