Flemington may have this year lost the meeting where they hosted their Derby and Oaks previews.
The two races have been rolled into one this year and will be run at Caulfield on Saturday, keeping the traditional 1800m trip.
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable will have dual representation in the HKJC World Pool Classics Preview (1800m) on Saturday, with Arashi Flash and Icy You set to line up.
Both are last-start winners and are on a path to the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington next month.
Arashi Flash appreciated the rise in trip to win over 1547m at Geelong on August 28, while Icy You, after a debut second on the synthetic at Pakenham, scored over 1600m at Echuca on August 30.
“This race is a nice lead-up,” Young said.
“Arashi Flash, he won really nicely at Geelong, and he’s ticked over nicely through it.
“If you are heading towards a Derby trip, and he is a horse that is out of a Zabeel mare, it is a nice progression.
“Icy You, he ran second on the synthetic at his first start and then won well at Echuca.
“He may not have beaten great competition, but he did it easy and Froggy (Craig Newitt) was looking back over his shoulder.
“He’s worked up super and he has to get around Caulfield, but he’s bred to get out to that sort of trip.
“It’s nice to have those sorts of horses at this time of year heading down that Derby path.”
Young said the stable would get a guide as to whether it would be worthwhile pressing on towards the other Derby lead-up races in coming weeks with the pair’s performances on Saturday.
“There is the Super Impose Stakes coming up, there is the Caulfield Classic, there’s the Geelong Classic,” Young said.
“They are all nice races, and this is progression to those, but they have to put their hands up to show they are up to city grade.
“You can’t win it, if you’re not in it.”
