Trainer Jason Warren will stick to his first plan with Puritan at Caulfield.
The three-year-old has been entered for two Group One races on Saturday, the Oakleigh Plate and Futurity Stakes, but will be kept to his own age group in the Group Three Zeditave Stakes (1200m).
Puritan
Warren said the colt was nominated for the Group One races in case entries were not as strong as expected.
“At the end of the day our main target is the Zeditave and then we can weigh up our options whether we go up in trip from there,” Warren said.
Puritan showed his class coming from off the speed to take out the Manfred Stakes first-up at Caulfield on February 6.
Those behind him included Palentino and Tulsa, placegetters in the CS Hayes Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.
“The horses he beat first-up were in the finish at Flemington the other day which was pretty encouraging,” Warren said.
While keeping his options open regarding a possible step up in distance, Warren is keen to take Puritan to Sydney following Saturday’s race.
He has picked out the Darby Munro over 1200m at Rosehill on Golden Slipper day, March 19, as Puritan’s first Sydney assignment.
“There is a little bit of time between the two runs, so we’ll just have to weigh it up,” Warren said.
“I think we did the right thing by the horse between his first-up run and his second-up run given that I had to give him a trial at Geelong so close to his first-up run.
“It’s given him that little bit of extra time that will help him further down the track.”
