Streets Of Avalon will attempt to add to his enviable weight-for-age record at Caulfield when he runs in the P B Lawrence Stakes.
But the Group 2 1400m contest, while a nice race to win, is a stepping stone to a bigger assignment two weeks later.
Nichols would like to add the Memsie Stakes to Streets Of Avalon’s resume which would give the gelding victory in all the Group 1 1400m weight-for-age races run at Caulfield.
Streets Of Avalon has already banked the C F Orr Stakes and Futurity Stakes and a Memsie win would see him as the only horse to complete the treble.
After a first-up second in the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on July 24, Streets Of Avalon will be presented with his ideal track conditions on Saturday.
Following rain on Wednesday, the Caulfield track was rated a Good 4 on Friday.
“It’s probably the best you can hope for in the spring when you can get messed up by the weather,” Nichols said.
“It looks like we’re going to be presented with an ideal track.”
Nichols said it was hard to know how much improvement Streets Of Avlon had taken from his first-up placing, saying the gelding was well forward for his return.
And Nichols won’t be tying jockey Zac Spain down with instructions from barrier eight.
Spain has ridden Streets Of Avalon in six of his victories including the C F Orr Stakes earlier this year.
“If something wants to kick up, we won’t want to take it on going up the hill,” Nichols said.
“He’s drawn awkward before and has been brought undone by pushing forward going up the hill, but Zac has ridden him a lot and knows the horse.
“I’m not going to confuse him with instructions.”
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au