Illation will put his spring credentials on the line when he travels to Adelaide for a second time for another stakes race at Morphettville.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr -trained son of So You Think runs in the Listed Adelaide Guineas (1600m) on Saturday following wins at his first two starts.
Illation was successful on debut at Pakenham on April 14 before scoring in the Listed Nitschke Stakes (1400m) on the Morphettville Parks track 16 days later.
Price said Illation had trained on nicely for Saturday’s assignment and has no fears about the colt running out the 1600m trip.
After that it will be to the spelling paddock to prepare for the autumn.
Price said the ideal spring option for Illation was the $8 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill in October, a race the stable won with I’m Thunderstruck last year.
“Being a businessperson, I would go to the Golden Eagle, but Lindsay Maxsted and partners are pure racing people,” Price said.
“The only other way to make a stallion prospect of him is to try and win at weight-for-age and then make him a Cox Plate horse.
“I think the right race for him might be the Golden Eagle. I don’t think the ownership group is against it, although he has a stud career. It’s alright for a gelding, so there’s a discussion to be had on it.”
With the Melbourne Spring Carnival officially kicking off in late August, Price said Illation would not be afforded a lengthy spell.
“I don’t think he’s a colt that you want to be putting in a paddock and letting him go wild,” Price said.
“If I spell him, I would probably put him at an equestrian place where they can spell him some days and work him some days, keep his discipline up.”
Illation has a stranglehold on early betting, opening the $1.35 favourite with Umgawa ($9) the only other runner under double figures with TAB.
