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MELBOURNE - Marasco will wear blinkers when Michael Rodd has his first race ride on the West Australian star in Saturday's Group One Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.
Judith Kersley, part-owner of Marasco and wife of trainer Fred Kersley, confirmed the gear change yesterday.
"Fred would like to try them (blinkers) on him," Kersley said. "We think it might help him to concentrate."
After his impressive win over Apache Cat in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on September 8, Marasco disappointed in the closing stages when third behind surprise winner Rubiscent in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield at his latest appearance on September 15.
That performance saw the five-year-old drift out to $6 in Cox Plate betting with TAB Sportsbet behind Miss Finland ($2.80 fav), El Segundo ($4.50) and Haradasun ($5).
Meanwhile, Sydney rider Hugh Bowman has picked up the ride on in-form mare Devil Moon after trainer Mark Kavanagh was forced to make a change after Rodd accepted the Marasco ride.
* Melbourne Cup prospect Tubular Bells will have his first start in 18 months when he resumes at Geelong on Thursday.
Trainer Andrew Payne said the six-year-old had recovered well from a bowed tendon which put him on the sidelines.
"He's going really well on the training track and I'm expecting a really big run first up," Payne said.
Tubular Bells has been beaten only once in seven starts - when he was runner-up to Exalted Time in the 2006 Adelaide Cup.
Payne is hoping to have two Melbourne Cup runners as he has taken over the training of 2005 runner-up On A Jeune due to the travel restrictions involving the equine influenza epidemic.
The winner of the 2004 Cranbourne Cup and 2005 Geelong Cup, On A Jeune will have his leadup races to the Melbourne Cup in the Cranbourne Cup (2025m) on Sunday week, followed by the Group Two Cathay Pacific Airways (Moonee Valley) Cup (2500m) on October 27.
- AAP
