Three-year-old Calendar Lad can race himself into South Australian Derby consideration if he handles a distance test at Caulfield.
The colt lines up in Saturday’s Listed Galilee Series Final (2400m) and trainer Greg Eurell admits next month’s South Australian Derby would be tempting if the son of Reset can go one better than his last-start second at Moonee Valley.
“The plan in all honesty wasn’t to head that way. I thought he might have been in the paddock by now,” Eurell said.
“But if he runs it out well on Saturday and continues to keep going through the preparation well, we’ve strongly got to consider it.”
The SA Derby (2500m) is at Morphettville on May 3.
Last year’s Galilee Series Final winner Shoreham was third in the SA Derby at his next start.
A winner of one of his eight starts, Calendar Lad has been tested twice in Group Two company this preparation finishing seventh in the Autumn Classic (1800m) and ninth in the Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) after getting a long way back from a wide draw.
Eurell was pleased with the way he ran home last start for second over 2040m at Moonee Valley behind Crime Fighter and believes Calendar Lad will handle the distance rise.
He is hoping for a good barrier draw to allow Calendar Lad to quickly settle in a nice position.
“I think he’s a genuine horse and I think he will run it out,” Eurell said.
“He’s certainly pulled up well from his last start which means he hasn’t been over-pressured in it.
“I took a blood on him on Friday and that was terrific, so everything is heading in the right direction to give him every possible chance.”
The $120,000 Galilee Series Final for three-year-olds has attracted 17 nominations.
David Hayes, who trained a winning treble at Flemington on Saturday, has Honey Steel’s Gold and last-start Cranbourne winner Surging Wave entered.
