It will be tomorrow or Wednesday before Showella's $A1.25 million Australian Cup mission is confirmed, but the early signs are good.
And in-form Melbourne jockey Brett Prebble is almost certain to ride the Takanini mare.
The Ritchie stable was yesterday looking at a horse who at least was not distressed by a tough group one, second-up performance in Saturday's $100,000 Lion Red Stakes.
"She was going to win by lengths on the corner," said rider Matthew Williamson after Showella went a fair way to get within a long head of impressive winner Tall Poppy.
Yesterday Showella was showing no outward signs of being harmed by an effort which saw her rally bravely after looking certain to miss the first five placings when under severe pressure at the 175m.
"But any pressure will be mental, because she's pretty tough physically," said co-trainer Frank Ritchie.
"When I take her to the track on Tuesday morning I'll know. If she breaks out [sweats] badly and jibs a bit going onto the track I'll know she's thinking: "Oh, that race hurt a bit."
"She always sweats up a bit, but the degree to which she does it will tell me.
"If she reacts then she won't be going to Melbourne and will head to the Sydney autumn carnival instead."
The Australian Cup is a tempting option this year with Australia totally lacking in weight-for-age stars outside Tie The Knot, who will not be in Melbourne.
Northerly, the cup favourite a week ago and second favourite behind Kaapstad Way just before the weekend, looked more like a Geelong Cup horse when beaten by Greenstone Charm at Caulfield on Saturday.
If Northerly is the danger to the Kiwis, there is none.
Diatribe is the only other Australian galloper considered even a chance of topping off the New Zealand invasion on Monday week and it is stretching the imagination to consider him a weight-for-age performer.
After what seemed a mix-up in Australia yesterday, the Ritchies were last night waiting for confirmation from Prebble, who rode Northerly on Saturday.
Frank Ritchie yesterday offered Greg Childs the Showella ride, but Childs said he had just been offered the ride on Northerly after winning on the horse at his previous start.
Ritchie then called Eddie Wilkinson in Singapore, but he has a long-standing engagement in an invitation race in Macau next Sunday and would be unable to get back to Melbourne in time for the Monday afternoon race.
Prebble's manager was still under the impression Prebble was on Northerly next week, but perhaps the horse's camp is unhappy that he climbed off at Caulfield on Saturday and declared he was not an Australian Cup horse.
Kaapstad Way yesterday retained Australian Cup favouritism at 3-1 with fellow New Zealanders Giovana and Cent Home on 5-1. Diatribe is 7-1 and Showella looks value at 10-1 with Northerly.
The shock of the race was Ngaio finishing third, just ahead of Cronus and Bluebird The Word.
Racing: Cup bid still on for Showella
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