Trainer Matt Cumani is hoping different tactics will bring about a change of fortunes for Greycliffe at Sandown.
The three-year-old runs in Saturday’s Ladbrokes Cash Out Handicap (2100m) where he’ll have in-form jocky Ben Melham in the saddle.
Greycliffe has travelled from Ballarat to Adelaide for his past two outings.
After leading he was claimed late when second in the Port Adelaide Guineas and again led when seventh in the Chairmans Stakes on April 28.
Cumani wants Greycliffe ridden from behind to see if he’ll run out Saturday’s journey.
“He’s a horse we’re still trying to work out,” Cumani said.
“I want to see if he is a 2000-metre horse or what his distance is.
“Having him out in front he’s open too much to the wrong pace.
“If he’s out the back, we can see if he’s finishing his race off and if he can show that he’s a genuine stayer, like we thought he was, then we can step back up to 2200 and 2400 metres.”
Greycliffe contested the Victoria Derby last spring, finishing 13th behind Ace High, and holds a nomination for next month’s Queensland Derby.
But Cumani said he would need to do something special to earn a trip.
Cumani had hoped to engage one of his stable riders for Greycliffe on Saturday after travelling interstate at his past two outing.
“I said to the owners that we would try to be a bit more consistent with our jockeys because we have been travelling and we’ve had to mix and match jockeys a little bit,” Cumani said.
“I would have liked to have got one of our team on like Jordan Childs or Linda Meech, but unfortunately they’re out, so we’re having yet another new jockey on, but it’s a good one in Ben Melham.”
