Lindsay Park achieved their goal with Apulia over summer and now they have switched their attention to an autumn campaign.
Apulia, and stablemate Plymouth, head to the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday which trainers Ben, Will and J D Hayes hope will lead the pair to the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 28.
A Victoria Derby runner-up as a three-year-old, Apulia was specifically targeted at the Perth Summer Carnival which saw the gelding take out the Group 2 Perth Cup.
After a year off the scene following an injury, Apulia returned last spring to win back-to-back races at Moonee Valley and Flemington before he was dispatched to Perth.
After a midfield finish in the Group 1 Northerly Stakes, Apulia went on to claim the Perth Cup lead-up, the Ted Van Heemst Stakes (2100m) before his win in the Perth Cup (2400m) on January 1.
As a lead-up to his return run on Saturday, Apulia had a jump-out at Flemington last week and Ben Hayes said the stable was pleased with the hit-out.
“He’s got good residual fitness from his trip to Perth, and we’ve kept him happy since he’s been back,” Hayes said.
“He had a good hit-out on the course proper last week in the jump-out where he was good through the line, and it showed he is on track.
“The mile will be at the shorter end for him, but he has won good races over that track and trip previously, so he can run well fresh.
“He was a fantastic three-year-old, but we just had to be on the patient side since with an injury and he’s come back great.
“He nearly won a Derby, he was a centimetre away, and it’s great to have him back.”
Hayes said the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) on March 14 was the next likely assignment for Apulia on his way to the Australian Cup.
Plymouth is heading in the same direction and Hayes said he and his brothers were delighted with the way the gelding resumed when a closing fourth behind Tom Kitten in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 7.
That was Plymouth’s first outing since the spring which saw him win the Benalla Cup while also running second in the Caulfield Cup.
“He was a great run first-up in the Kevin Heffernan and he’s on a similar path to the Australian Cup,” Hayes said.
