Trainer Colin Little will delay a decision on whether Kazio takes his place at Caulfield until he assesses the significance of any overnight rainfall.
Kazio is down to run in the Ian Miller Handicap (1600m) on Saturday but will not take his place if the track is in the heavy range on race morning.
“He probably won’t run if it’s a heavy but at the moment he is,” Little said.
Kazio will be lining up for the ninth run of a campaign that began in November.
The five-year-old has made a steady rise through the grades winning on three occasions while not finishing further back than fourth.
Little described Kazio as an amazing horse to have stayed in work over such a long period.
“He loves stable life and five or six times we’ve been at the races and thought that’s enough, but two or three days later he’s jumping out of his skin,” Little said.
“He doesn’t need to work too hard between races.
“He’s pretty fit and we keep giving him one more and he keeps standing up.”
Little said while Kazio’s form warranted continuing his preparation, he was in a dilemma as to when to give the gelding a break.
“He’s a very sound horse and wouldn’t need more than a month out, but that brings him back in the middle of the spring and he’s a post-spring horse,” Little said.
“We’ll see how he goes and it’s one run at a time and as soon as he tells us he’s feeling the pinch, he’ll be out in the paddock.”
Kazio earned his biggest pay cheque of $51,000 when second to Widgee Turf in the VOBIS Gold Mile at Caulfield on April 27.
Little said Widgee Turf was a handicapping certainty that day.
“There’s a horse that has won a million dollars and there’s horses 18 kilos away in the handicap meeting him on level weights,” Little said.
