Trainer Tony McEvoy is counting on Turbo Street to handle a distance rise at Caulfield when he chases back-to-back city wins in Melbourne.
Turbo Street won over 1600m at Moonee Valley last start and McEvoy has chosen Saturday’s Carol Kelly Plate (2000m) at Caulfield in preference to a race over the same distance in Adelaide.
“It looks an ideal race,” McEvoy said.
“It’s not overly strong, I don’t believe, and I just put him in the Adelaide race in case he drew off the track or something at Caulfield.
“He’s just got to run out a strong 2000 metres which I think he will.”
Turbo Street is yet to win beyond 1700m, but he is the $2.90 favourite and has premiership leader Craig Williams aboard again.
“He is an Encosta De Lago and his pedigree says he should run it out, so I’m pretty comfortable he will run the trip,” McEvoy said.
McEvoy is also hopeful last-start Caulfield winner Scherzoso will handle the step up from 2000m in the $150,000 VOBIS Gold Stayers (2400m).
The trainer has stuck with apprentice Ben Allen to ride Scherzoso in the non-claiming race.
Allen has ridden Scherzoso in three of his five starts this campaign for two wins, including his last-start win over 2000m.
“They seem to get on very well together and he’ll ride him beautifully,” McEvoy said.
Scherzoso’s two wins this campaign have come with 51kg after Allen’s claim but he rises to 57.5kg on Saturday.
“The reason he has gone up so much in weight probably tells me a bit about the class of the race,” McEvoy said.
“It’s just whether he can run the mile-and-a-half. I hope I haven’t taken him out of his zone. He finished the 2000-metre race off really well the other day, so I’m looking forward to it.”
