KEY POINTS:
Cambridge trainer Anne Herbert sees tomorrow's big sprint at Ellerslie as an experiment with Baldessarini and Tatlock.
"Neither of them will be having easy runs, but I'm trying something separate with both of them," said Herbert yesterday.
"I'm going to ask Lisa [Cropp] to allow Baldessarini time to find his feet and get his confidence because he hasn't raced for a long time and the last two times he's been to the races he's been hurt.
"He got knocked around in the Telegraph two years ago and last time, which is more than a year ago, he was hurt racing at Rotorua."
Baldessarini scored a remarkable win in the Railway at Ellerslie two years ago after sitting wide throughout and is heading to the same race again.
He looks a much stronger horse now and recently trialled exceptionally well at Avondale.
It's a big ask to expect a win with only one race in nearly two years, but Herbert believes the public will see him being very competitive.
"Personally, I think he's very forward and will be right in it."
Herbert has put blinkers on Tatlock in a bid to decide whether the horse is looking to run further than today's 1200m or simply needs sharpening up.
"I believe he's a real Railway chance. He'll have no weight on his back.
"If he doesn't run up to what I think he's capable of this time, he'll be running 1400m next time out," said Herbert.
The danger to the stablemates could be St Verdi, who was not at all suited by the rain-affected track at Ellerslie on Counties Cup day. He is up to the very best class and might prove it tomorrow.
The Great Northern Guineas Trial sees none of the leading 3-year-olds engaged, but will be an important guide to which of the emerging horses handles the first step up to a middle distance with the Derby ahead.
Azincourt and Sircross have the form to be major players.
