KEY POINTS:
MELBOURNE: Honest four-year-old Gallopin faces his first open company test at Flemington today and trainer Danny O'Brien is confident he can handle the step up in class and earn a start in the Bagot Handicap.
Gallopin joined the O'Brien team this year following two unplaced efforts in New Zealand.
He hasn't finished further back than second in eight subsequent starts, including five wins, and is chasing a hat-trick of metropolitan victories in today's Johnstaff Projects Plate (2000m).
Gallopin scored a strong win over Stedman and The Wolverine at Flemington on Oaks Day before backing it up with a hard-fought victory over today's rival Road To Athens at Moonee Valley last start.
James Winks takes over the reins from heavyweight rider Steven Arnold, who will ride topweight Arbitration.
"He's in a lot stronger race tomorrow but we hope he can keep his run going," O'Brien said of Gallopin.
"He'll definitely run in the Bagot if he runs well tomorrow. I want to see what his 2400 metre plus potential is.
"He relaxes really well and has hit the line well in all of his races.
"He finished off strongly over 2040 metres at the Valley despite having 3 1/2 weeks between runs and I've always felt confident that he would handle a mile-and-a-half (2400m)."
The listed Bagot Hcp (2500m) is at Flemington on New Year's Day.
"If he wins tomorrow he'll go to the Bagot as fit as a fiddle. It's shaping up as a pretty good race and will be a good test for him," O'Brien said.
O'Brien also has a good opinion of another son of New Zealand sire Pins, I'm A Toff, who will back up in today's Princes Laundry Hcp (1600m).
I'm A Toff was runner-up to the promising Super Gains over 1400m at Caulfield last Saturday after taking out a Geelong maiden at his debut on November 10.
"He's a similar horse to Gallopin in that he's by Pins and he's going to be at his best when he gets to 2000 metres and possibly 2400 metres," O'Brien said.
"I've had this race picked out for him for a while but he missed a run when the races were called off at Werribee [on November 28].
"He has to come off a seven-day back up this week but the horse is very well. He didn't have a tough run at Caulfield and I really want to see him at a mile at Flemington."
I'm A Toff is likely to go for a break after today, but longer term O'Brien believes he could develop into a Derby candidate.
"He could possibly stretch out to a Derby trip (2400m). Whether that's in Sydney, Adelaide or Brisbane I don't know, but we'll be guided by what he does tomorrow," he said.
O'Brien's remaining runner at Flemington will be La Chasseuse in the Bassett Plate (1000m).
The mare won successive races at Seymour and Caulfield during the spring carnival and has been freshened up since finishing second to Soleil over 1100m at Flemington on Oaks Day.
"We're hoping to get some black type with her in either the Christmas Stakes or the Standish Handicap, but she'd have to perform well tomorrow to be going into those better races in the next few weeks," O'Brien said.
The listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) is at Caulfield on December 26 while the group three Standish Hcp (1200m) is at Flemington on January 1.
- AAP
