Riddle Me That has been a cause of frustration for Matt Laurie, but the trainer is confident the gelding can deliver on the big stage.
After missing out on a couple of starts during the spring because of minor ailments, Riddle Me That is set to take his place in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
It is almost 14 months since Riddle Me That last tasted success, taking out the Listed Paris Lane Stakes (1400m) at Flemington in October 2020.
Prior to that, Riddle Me That scored in the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) six months earlier.
Riddle Me That may have gone winless since that Flemington victory, but the now five-year-old has been a consistent performer.
Placings have come in the Listed Abell Stakes at The Valley, the Listed Anniversary Vase at Caulfield and the Listed Weekend Hussler Stakes, also at Caulfield.
With a little luck, Laurie said the Anniversary Vase may have gone their way.
“He’s not a bad horse,” Laurie said.
“When he ran third at Caulfield that day, the winner came off our back and beat him. I wonder if we had the run the winner had, we might have won.
“He’s one of those horses that keeps running well and hopefully he can take that next step.”
A heel issue forced Riddle Me That to miss a start on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival while he was scratched the following week from the Cranbourne Cup because of the heavy track.
“He’s had a couple of setbacks, so he hasn’t had much of a preparation so far,” Laurie said.
“He had a bit of a heel issue and he missed out on a bit of racing, but he’s good now.
“It’s weight-for-age and he’s at level weights with all the others, but it’s his right distance.
“We’ll run him here then look at a couple of stakes races through January like the Chester Manifold.
“We want to have a bit of fun with him being at the races.”
