Unbeaten youngster Long John can set himself up for a spring carnival tilt if he maintains the winning start to his career at Flemington on Thursday.
The Peter Snowden-trained runner lines up for the final start of his juvenile season in the 1410m event on the back of wins at Bendigo and Sandown in his only two starts.
Melbourne stable foreman Paul Snowden said the $120,000 race was a good opportunity for Long John to try to boost his stake money and rating before the spring.
“He’s just going to get better with racing,” Snowden said.
“Once he gets out and comes back in the spring, he’s going to be a really nice horse.
“He’ll be entered for all the main three-year-old races, probably everything up to the Derby. Whether or not he makes it, that will be determined next time through.”
Long John won by almost two lengths on debut over 1300m and then turned in a more professional performance when he worked at both ends after starting from a wide barrier to post a 3-3/4 length victory over the same distance at a recent midweek city meeting.
Snowden said the gelding needed to continue making big steps if he was to measure up in the spring, but added he had done nothing wrong so far.
“He’s a nice horse and he’ll go out after Thursday,” Snowden said.
“He’s holding together well and looks well-placed again.”
The Anzac Day Stakes is one of two Listed races on the Flemington card with the feature being the $150,000 VRC St Leger (2800m).
Champion trainer Gai Waterhouse has entered two runners for the St Leger headed by favourite Hippopus who was second to Philippi two starts ago in the Tulloch Stakes before his last-start fifth in the Group One Australian Derby (2400m).
