Stablemates Benaud and Maximal drew the two widest barriers in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) which may turn out to be a blessing in disguise on what is already a Heavy 10 track.
Sydney-based John O’Shea said Benaud loves the wet while a decision will be made on Saturday morning whether dry tracker Maximal takes his place.
“I trust the track. It’s such a great track and we’ll make a decision on Saturday,” O’Shea said of Maximal.
“It’s not wet compared to what we’ve been running on.”
Should Maximal bypass the Caulfield Cup, O’Shea said he hoped to get the UK-import into Saturday week’s Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley.
On the other hand, Benaud has the credentials to win the Caulfield Cup and will be lining up for his second start in blinkers on Saturday.
Benaud wore the headgear in last week’s Might And Power Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield when beaten 2-½ lengths by Anamoe.
O’Shea said Benaud had been keen in the blinkers and will be better for that run on Saturday.
He added that it was important for Benaud, who ran second to Hitotsu in the Group 1 Australian Derby at Randwick in the autumn, to get a look at Caulfield before Saturday’s outing.
Benaud drops from 58kg to 53kg on Saturday and O’Shea said the one-time winner, of a Nowra maiden, was again in a race he can win.
“He raced in the Derby, ran second and was beaten by a good horse,” O’Shea said.
“The first time he could win this preparation was in the Kingston Town and he ran second, again to a good horse, after having to do a bit of work.
“He couldn’t win last Saturday, but he can win this Saturday. He’s been in three races in his whole career that he can win, and he’s run second in two of them.
“And if you go through his barrier record, we always ride him quiet.”
Win, lose or draw, O’Shea plans to pull up stumps after Saturday having not entered Benaud for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 1.
“I didn’t want to overtax him and go to the Melbourne Cup,” O’Shea said.
“He can run Saturday, go away, have a nice autumn and come back next year.”