Co-trainer Aaron Bain believes Shady Thinker can reach Stakes company, but first there is a benchmark race at Morphettville to pick off.
Shady Thinker is a Stakes winner in waiting but first the Aaron Bain and Ned Taylor-trained galloper has a lesser race to tick off at Morphettville.
The So You Think five-year-old heads to the MM Electrical Handicap (1600m) on Saturday and Bain said he would be surprised if the gelding is beaten.
Shady Thinker is also nominated for the Listed John Letts Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Tuesday, but at this stage of the campaign Bain prefers the benchmark 72 contest on Saturday.
“He’s looking for the mile, and possibly further,” Bain said.
“He’s nominated for the John Letts on Tuesday over 1800 metres, but we’ll more than likely run on Saturday, given it’s too hard a race to pass up.
“I’d be disappointed if when he retires that he hasn’t won a Stakes race of some sort and that might be a 1600-metre, 1800-metre race.
“He wouldn’t be out of place in a John Letts, but Saturday’s race on the way through in that grade, is too hard to pass up.
“There’s our summer carnival early next year, so there’s plenty of time.”
Shady Thinker has won three of his 10 starts with a further two placings, and Bain said the gelding had a dislike for wet tracks.
Bain travelled the gelding to Sydney last year, where he ran well at Rosehill before striking a wet track at Kembla Grange and disappointing.
“When he came back from New South Wales, he had a few little niggles and needed a little bit of time,” Bain said.
“He’s a very talented galloper. His first two runs back this preparation were on soft tracks.
“We had a long and extended winter here and we had to run him in those races for fitness purposes and it wasn’t until third-up that he saw a dry track and ran very well.
“Then fourth-up, last start, he should have won, and I’d be very surprised getting out to the mile if he got beaten on Saturday.”
