Tony McEvoy will monitor Pelicano’s trackwork before confirming whether the comeback galloper gets the chance to join stablemate Le Roi as a Summer Cup winner.
Pelicano was beaten just under five lengths in the Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick earlier this month in his first start for a year spent recovering from a sesamoid injury.
McEvoy has pinpointed Friday’s Group Three Summer Cup (2000m) at Randwick as the next target for Pelicano as long as he convinces him his fitness is where it needs to be.
The trainer prepared Le Roi to win the Summer Cup two years ago when the race was at Rosehill over 2400m.
“I’ll make the decision on Tuesday morning and if the horse pleases me I plan to run him,” McEvoy said of Pelicano.
“He’s really done very well since the Villiers so hopefully he works well for me tomorrow and we can go ahead for Friday.
“What I want to do is just test his fitness to make sure he’s right to go out to 2000 metres, and his work will decide that.”
Hugh Bowman has been booked for the ride.
Pelicano will be chasing the fifth stakes win of his career having claimed four Listed races last year including the Werribee Cup, Murray Bridge Cup and Parramatta Cup in three different states.
The son of Court Of Jewels had a chip on a sesamoid bone which required surgery and a long time off the scene.
McEvoy was pleased with the gelding’s eighth in the Villiers which was won by Rudy on a soft track.
“It was a very good run. I couldn’t have been more pleased,” McEvoy said.
Pelicano has 57.5kg in the Summer Cup with Festival Stakes winner and Villiers runner-up I’m Imposing to carry top weight of 59kg in his defence of the race.
McEvoy also has a chance in another Boxing Day feature with stakes winner Mouro out to bounce back from a last-start failure in Sydney when he runs in the Listed Lord Stakes (1600m) at Sandown.
