A Group 1 handicap at Caulfield could be on the agenda for Arkansaw Kid after a return to winning form at Flemington.
Arkansaw Kid registered back-to-back wins in the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) on Saturday after two luckless runs to open the campaign.
Now the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield next Saturday has been tabled as a potential assignment for the gelding.
“We might consider backing him up in the Sir Rupert Clarke,” J D Hayes said.
“We have never backed him up before and he might be a terrific back-up horse the way that he travels.
“He might travel that little bit kinder and the little gear change today, the winkers, helped.
“It got his mind on the job, and he put the race to bed which was good.”
Hayes said if the stable elects to send Arkansaw Kid to the Sir Rupert Clarke the extra distance should not pose a problem with the gelding beaten narrowly in The Supernova at Pakenham last December.
Sent out the $3.20 favourite under Blake Shinn, Arkansaw Kid defeated the 2023 Bobbie Lewis winner Star Patrol ($7) by a half-length with Media World ($8) a further three-quarters-of-a-length away third.
Hayes said Arkansaw Kid had come of age as a five-year-old and improved enormously from his days as a three-year-old colt.
He said wide barriers in his first two runs of the campaign at Caulfield had worked against him.
“We thought he had come of age this preparation and it just hasn’t gone to plan in his first two runs this preparation,” Hayes said.
“He’s a horse that is never far away and we’ve always thought he was a Group 1 horse, especially in a handicap and he proved that today.
“He’s run terrific in his last two, but he’s had to go back from bad draws and today it was just a beautiful watch.
“He was really travelling well at the clock tower, and it looked like Blake had plenty of horse there and he was strong to the line.
“It was a well overdue win for the ownership group who have been incredibly patient. He’s been a bit of a bridesmaid so it’s good to get the result.”
