Melbourne Cup placegetter Middle Earth will kick off his campaign aimed at another shot at Australia’s great race at Caulfield.
The Listed Anniversary Vase (1600m) on Saturday is the starting point for the former UK galloper who is in the care of Ciaron Maher.
Middle Earth is then expected to travel to Brisbane via Sydney where the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) and the Group 2 Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm have been put up as possible winter targets.
The gelding would then likely have a short break in the Queensland winter warmth to prepare for the spring carnival.
Middle Earth made an immediate impact on Australian soil when he won the Australian Cup Prelude (2000m) in March last year, but fell by the wayside until finishing third in the JRA Cup (2040m) at Moonee Valley as his final lead-up run before finishing third to Half Yours in the Melbourne Cup.
The gelding enters Saturday’s race with two easy jump-outs under the belt, including one last Monday.
Jack Turnbull, National Assistant Trainer for the Ciaron Maher stable, said that jump-out was to knock the freshness out of Middle Earth.
“He trialled Monday and he’s back five days later,” Turnbull said.
“He’s a high energy horse and he’s been at Julien Welsh’s because of his barrier antics.
“He gets quite hot and claustrophobic, so he trialled Monday to run Saturday on purpose to try and knock the edge off him.
“He’s then headed up to Sydney and on to Brisbane for the Doomben Cup, the Q22 and races like that and have a prep aimed at the Cup again.”
Middle Earth carries 61kg on Saturday, the same weight Pride Of Jenni carried to victory last year.
Maher also saddles stayers Land Legend and Sayedaty Sadaty in Saturday’s race.
Land Legend will be having his second out for Maher having formerly been prepared by Chris Waller while Sayedaty Sadaty is first-up since finishing third last in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington which came on top of his win in the Bendigo Cup (2400m) at his previous run.