He said either the Geelong Cup or the Moonee Valley Cup was a more realistic goal for him this campaign with the hope that he could run well enough in one of those races to warrant a run in the Melbourne Cup.
"We are heading in that direction but we are taking baby steps," Blackiston said.
"If he gets there all well and good but he might measure up better next year.
"He is still quite babyish and immature but he's heading in the right direction."
Blackiston said Littorio, who was diagnosed with tendonitis over the weekend, would be hard to replace but Right Of Refusal was part of a bigger plan of laying a foundation for the future.
"He is travelling along very nicely and we also have a few others in the stable coming through," Blackiston said..
Among them is Zabeel 4-year-old Menados who won his only start easily at Echuca and will line up at Seymour over 1600m on Thursday.
The Underwood Stakes Day will bring clarity to the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup markets. The horses who occupy the top seven positions in TAB Sportsbet's Melbourne Cup market and the top six in Caulfield Cup betting have been nominated in either the Underwood or Naturalism.
Among the Underwood entries are $12 Melbourne Cup favourite Shamrocker, Scarlett Lady ($14) and Lion Tamer ($15), last year's Melbourne Cup runner-up Maluckyday ($15) and classy mares Lights Of Heaven ($18) and Absolutely ($18).
The $13 second favourite for the Melbourne Cup and $8 Caulfield Cup favourite, December Draw, is entered for the Naturalism which guarantees the winner a start in the Caulfield Cup.
Coolmore is still no closer to committing So You Think to a start in Europe's most prestigious thoroughbred race.
While Australian wagering agency TAB Sportsbet has So You Think sharing top billing for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, much uncertainty still surrounds his participation.
"It's still a way off and we haven't decided yet," said Coolmore trainer Aidan O'Brien after watching St Nicholas Abbey run third in an Arc trial at Longchamp.
So You Think's career earnings swelled to more than A$6.6 million when he held off high-class mare Snow Fairy to win the Irish Champion Stakes earlier this month.
His victory was his fourth for O'Brien after Coolmore bought a controlling interest in the 5-year-old following last year's Melbourne Cup carnival.
Three of those victories have come at group one level, ensuring a lucrative stud career on both sides of the world.
So You Think was missing from first acceptors for next month's W S Cox Plate at Moonee Valley along with Ballydoyle stablemate Cape Blanco.
TAB Sportsbet's Arc market have So You Think and Sarafina as $4.50 chances.
Most overseas bookmakers have Sarafina an outright favourite after she won a dress rehearsal, the Prix Foy, at the weekend.
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, run over 2400m, will be held on October 2.
- AAP
