Today's A$500,000 Bentley St Leger Stakes (2600m) at Randwick could have a major bearing on the 2019 spring campaign for well-performed New Zealand stayer Sir Charles Road.
A highly creditable seventh in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) last November, Sir Charles Road is currently 43rd in the order of entry for this year's running of the Flemington showpiece.
Trainers Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott are favouring a 'wait and see' approach for the 6-year-old's programme.
"We're just taking it one race at a time with him for now," O'Sullivan said. "We'll see what happens this weekend. If he runs well again in the St Leger, we might try to pursue that Melbourne Cup start over the next few weeks.
"But in the meantime, this race in Sydney is worth $500,000 and certainly looks like a nice race to have a crack at in its own right."