Mark Kavanagh hasn’t ruled out a Blue Diamond start for two-year-old Casquets who will launch a last-ditch bid to qualify for the race when she runs at Flemington on Saturday.
Casquets lines up in the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) after a debut third to Blue Diamond-bound filly Gregers at a recent Moonee Valley night meeting.
Kavanagh expects the daughter of Fastnet Rock to turn in a more professional display on Saturday, but how much improvement she shows will determine whether the Blue Diamond is a realistic option.
“She ran third on debut and has improved with the race experience,” Kavanagh said.
“I’m quite happy with her progress and it is just a matter of waiting and seeing where we go next.
“If she ran well on Saturday I may consider backing her up. She’s still in the Diamond.”
The Talindert Stakes has attracted a field of 12 which includes the Peter Moody-trained Kona Breeze.
Kona Breeze has finished runner-up in all three of her starts including the past two behind one of the main Blue Diamond fancies, Metastasio.
The Kavanagh-trained three-year-old Sheer Talent is expected to be better suited stepping up in distance in Saturday’s CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) after his first-up fourth in the Listed Manfred Stakes over 1200m.
He takes on a similar field at Flemington including impressive Manfred Stakes winner Royal Haunt who has been installed favourite after his 4-1/4 length win last time.
“Sheer Talent went really well first-up. They slackened the pace mid-race but he got home hard,” Kavanagh said.
“Naturally he will improve as the distances get longer and I’m looking forward to getting him out to a mile and further.”
Sheer Talent and stablemate Super Cool, who ran a pleasing first-up third in the Autumn Stakes last weekend, are nominated for the Australian Guineas and Kavanagh said he was keeping an eye on the likely Guineas line-up before deciding where to go with the three-year-olds.
All Too Hard is not a confirmed Guineas starter and Pierro has already been ruled out.
