Brisbane gelding The Candy Man is scheduled to take on weight-for-age class for the first time in the Group Two Craven Plate (2000m) at Randwick.
The Candy Man will be having his third run back from a spell after finishing 13th at his most recent run behind Kolding in the Group One Epsom Handicap on October 5.
Trainer Barry Baldwin has entered the The Candy Man in the Craven Plate (2000m) and the Spring Mile (1600m) on Saturday.
Baldwin said The Candy Man’s run in the Epsom was much better than it looked on paper.
“He was caught deep and his sectionals weren’t bad at all,” Baldwin said.
“(Owner) Lucky Pippos is keen to run in the Craven Plate but we have the Spring Mile as a back-up. With top horses such as Happy Clapper going around in the Craven Plate it will be a good test for him.
“The Candy Man is really only starting to come up to his best and we have been looking to him getting out further this campaign.”
Happy Clapper and The Candy Man are among 11 entries for the 2019 Craven Plate while there are 19 nominations for the Spring Mile.
Baldwin said The Candy Man’s main mission in Sydney would be the $500,000 Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m), two weeks after Saturday.
“It is a Quality and he should get in well at the weights. And of course the more rain they get in Sydney the better it will suit him,” he said.
Meanwhile, Caloundra trainer Natalie McCall is looking at the Sydney race calendar and weather forecasts in coming weeks for Spectroscope.
A former Godolphin horse, Spectroscope resumed from a nine-month break with a close-up third in an open handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
“There should be something in Sydney at the end of the carnival and hopefully the rain continues down there,” she said.
