The Blue Diamond credentials of provincial winner Eloping will be put to the test at Caulfield but whether older stablemate Star Rolling joins her at the meeting is yet to be decided.
The Peter Morgan and Craig Widdison-trained Star Rolling is nominated to return in either Friday night’s Group Two Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley or Saturday’s Listed John Dillon Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
“He’ll gallop in the morning and then we’ll decide which way we’re going to go,” Morgan said.
Eloping scored a 2-1/2-length all-the-way win on debut in a 900m maiden for two-year-olds at Bendigo on December 22 and Morgan will use Saturday’s Blue Diamond fillies Preview (1000m) as a guide to whether she is up to progressing to the Group One Blue Diamond (1200m) on February 22.
“There’s good form out of the race (at Bendigo) but I’m not getting carried away with her yet,” Morgan said.
“We’ll see what happens on Saturday.”
Jarklin finished third, beaten just over five lengths in the Bendigo race, and after winning a Cranbourne maiden he finished 2-1/4 lengths second to Nostradamus at Flemington on Saturday.
Tudor, runner-up to Eloping, is nominated for Saturday’s colts and geldings Preview.
“She ran good time that day so it’s possible that she is a bit above average,” Morgan said of Eloping.
Morgan trained the filly’s sister Jesse’s Girl who won one of her 14 starts but was runner-up in four stakes races including the 2010 Group Two Sires’ Produce Stakes in Brisbane.
“I think this filly might be a little bit better at this stage,” Morgan said.
The fillies Preview has attracted 13 nominations while the male division has 15 entries.
Fontein Ruby and Golconda, both at $15 in Blue Diamond betting, are nominated for the fillies Preview.
Four-year-old Star Rolling, winner of four of his seven starts including the Listed Penang Trophy in Adelaide in September, hasn’t raced since his fifth in the Cranbourne Cup in October.
The Australian Cup is on the radar for Star Rolling, as is the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney, but Morgan is unsure whether that is aiming too high.
“We’re keeping both races alive at this stage. Whether he’s up to that or not, I’m not sure yet,” Morgan said.
“I think he’s got plenty of ability but whether he’s up to Group One at that class, I’m not sure about that.”
