Grahame Begg is hoping for a truly run Might And Power Stakes for Nonconformist in the lead up to his main goal a week later.
The Group 1 race over 2000m will be Nonconformist’s final run before the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday week, a race the gelding ran second in behind Incentivise last year.
Nonconformist also finished second in the Might And Power last year, beaten in a photo by Probabeel, having won the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at his previous run.
The Naturalism success gave Nonconformist a ballot exemption into last year’s Caulfield Cup, but Begg has been afforded the luxury of a different path this year, following a weight-for-age campaign.
Nonconformist finished last at his most recent outing in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Sandown on September 25, beaten seven lengths behind Alligator Blood and several other opponents on Saturday.
“Visually it wasn’t very good, he got beaten seven lengths, but when you look at the sectionals, it was ridiculous the race,” Begg said.
“I’m not 100 per cent sure he came down the hill that well and he got detached from the field, but his sectionals were still good.
“He ran home in 34 something for his last 600 metres, which tells me his run wasn’t all that bad.
“It was facially run, going 12-½ to 13 (seconds) for the furlong down the back and it was going to be a sprint home and they are some of the best horses in the country, so it makes it difficult.”
While the sprint home in the Underwood was not ideal, Begg can see the Might And Power being a differently run race to Nonconformist’s previous outing.
“I don’t think they will be sitting back on Saturday, they’ll be making a bit of a contest of it and if they run a long, that will help him,” Begg said.
“If you go back and look at the race last year when he ran second, I think Homesman took off mid-race and put it on, which helped him.
“Hopefully on Saturday there will be some moves at the 1000 metres, and they make it a true test.
“So long as he’s getting home it will show that he’s on target for the 2400 metres the following week.”