Trainer Heath Conners is taking his lightly raced but talented three-year-old Villa Sarchi to Caulfield on the next step up the racing ladder.
Conners has selected a 1200m-race on Saturday as a stepping stone to a similar race in two weeks time.
Villa Sarchi is a two-time winner from his four starts.
After winning his maiden at Kyneton last November, Villa Sarchi returned with a 1000m victory at Sandown last month.
Conners said Villa Sarchi was, and continued to be, a work in progress.
“Last time in he wanted to go too hard,” Conners said.
“He was still able to win and place twice, but he wanted to do it all too quick.
“Even though he still over-raced a little at Sandown first-up, just before they went through the dip he came back under the rider.
“Then when he came out and released the brakes, he didn’t take off, he gradually went through his gears and when slapped up he ran through the line strongly.
“That tells me he’s really come a long away and I think this run, second-up, will just top him off.”
Conners is banking on a good size field with a solid pace to help Villa Sarchi switch off on Saturday.
He said the race fitted in nicely with his program ahead of his next Caulfield outing on April 28.
Those performances will determine how far Conners presses ahead with the gelding this campaign.
He said there was the possibility of a trip to Adelaide, although the $120,000 prize money along with Super VOBIS bonuses made staying at home easy.
“These VOBIS races are pretty hard to knock back,” Conners said.
“They’re almost $90,000 to the winner, so you can’t shy away from them.
“If he has three nice runs and shows up on a Saturday then you’d be thinking of tipping him out and setting him for the spring.
“If he can take that step from what he’s taken from his first prep and take that next step again, then he might be something very nice.”
