Grahame Begg says Nonconformist is in excellent shape for a tilt at the Might And Power at Caulfield.
Track conditions will play an important role for Nonconformist in his quest to win the Caulfield Cup 2023.
Part of the stayer’s program to that Group 1 race over 2400m on October 21 is the Group 1 Might And Power (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Nonconformist was beaten in a photo by Probabeel in the Might And Power two years ago before backing up a week later to defeat all but Incentivise in the Caulfield Cup.
The Grahame Begg-trained galloper followed the same path last year but finished seventh in the Might And Power before running tenth in the Caulfield Cup.
Nonconformist heads to Saturday’s Might And Power with two runs under the belt, but importantly has retained residual fitness following a trip to Brisbane which saw him run second to Without A Fight in the Q22, one of two runs in the Sunshine State.
After finding the 1400m too short in the Memsie Stakes, Nonconformist was a closing seventh in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 23 which left Begg satisfied the gelding was on target for the Caulfield Cup.
“He’s going really well,” Begg said.
“He ran well in the Underwood and those horses that finished around him, Soulcombe and the like all performed well in the Turnbull Stakes last Saturday.
“I feel he’s really on target.”
Begg said he felt Nonconformist was back in a similar vein of form as he was two years ago.
He said wet tracks thwarted his campaign last year while he also had 10 months away from the track in the lead-up to that spring carnival.
While rain was falling in Melbourne on Thursday, the expectation is the track will be a Good 4 on Saturday, ideal conditions for Nonconformist.
“I think he’s as good as he was two years ago, if not better,” Begg said.
“Last year you must erase that because of the wet tracks, so hopefully we’ll get some decent tracks in the next two weeks.
“But it won’t be easy on Saturday with Alligator Blood being there, but it will be a competitive race and he’s in good form and is building nicely for the Caulfield Cup.”