Damien Oliver has been booked to ride promising colt Levendi in his upcoming campaign, with the Group One Australian Guineas an immediate target.
Levendi is trained by Peter Gelagotis and the three-year-old won the Group Two Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in November before a spell.
The Gelagotis stable confirmed on Twitter champion jockey Oliver had been booked to ride Levendi this autumn.
Levendi is likely to have one lead-up race into the Australian Guineas which could be in the Group Two Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield next month.
A Sydney campaign is also in the mix after the Guineas.
The Australian Guineas for three-year-olds is also a race on the autumn agenda for filly Aloisia who won the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m) and Group Two Vase (2040m) during the spring before being unplaced in the VRC Oaks (2500m) as favourite.
Aloisia was one of two Group One winners for trainer Aaron Purcell during the spring along with brilliant colt Merchant Navy who won the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.
Purcell stepped in to take charge of trainer Ciaron Maher’s team after Maher was suspended for six months in late September.
“Merchant Navy has been back in a couple of weeks and Aloisia the same,” Purcell’s assistant trainer David Eustace said.
“Aloisia’s target will be the Australian Guineas and Merchant Navy’s will be the Newmarket.
“He will have a run before the Newmarket, most likely in the Rubiton Stakes a month before.”
