Trainer Matt Cumani is giving Shadeelaa one final crack at city success as a three-year-old when the gelding lines up in the Ken Cox Handicap (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Shadeelaa is chasing a third straight win after scoring at Ballarat and Werribee over 1500m and 1600m respectively, but Cumani believes the rise in trip is key.

“You would expect that he’s going to improve stepping up to 2000 metres,” Cumani said.

Still, the trainer remains cautious about the class jump after his last win came in a 0-58 event.

“He only narrowly won… We were playing the handicap game and played it well.”

Cumani has long aimed to stretch the lightly framed gelding to 2000m, and says the timing now feels right.

“They’re only three once and it gets much tougher at four,” he said.

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