The training partnership of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are looking to follow a proven spring path with one of their latest three-year-old Classic hopefuls Tavirun.
It means the last-start Moonee Valley winner will head to Sydney to run in Saturday’s Group Three Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill.
The Gloaming leads into the Group One Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick two weeks later before attention is expected to turn to the Victoria Derby (2500m) on November 3 at Flemington.
“A couple of the Derby horses we’ve had have taken that path,” Young said.
“Sully went to the Gloaming and the Spring Champion and Sangster followed the same sort of path.
“That Sydney form seems to hold up and we think he’s going to hopefully get up over that (Derby) trip.”
Sully finished second in last year’s Victoria Derby behind the David Payne-trained Ace High who also won the Gloaming and Spring Champion.
Sangster won the 2011 Derby after contesting the Gloaming and Spring Champion during his spring campaign.
Tavirun won a Donald maiden at his second start then led all the way over 1500m at Moonee Valley last start and Young believes Saturday’s race, which has a field of six, is a good spring stepping stone for the gelding.
“We’ll know a bit more about him after Saturday, because he’s quite a sharp Tavistock,” Young said.
“Tarka is going to be hard to beat but we’ve got a good draw and we’ve got Hugh Bowman on. As long as he travels well I think he’ll be hard to beat.”
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