SMYTHES Creek trainer Emma Stewart will find out on Tuesday morning whether has two or three starters in Saturday night’s group 1 $400,000 Victoria Cup at Melton.
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Guaranteed and Philadephia Man are lock-ins for the stable.
However, last-start Hamilton Pacing Cup winner Restrepo is on the fringe.
He is considered one of five candidates for the last three berths in the Cup.
Restrepo is vying with Shepparton Gold Cup winner Franco Ledger, last-start Menangle winner Suave Stuey Lombo, multi-group 1 winning Queenslander Avonnova and top class five-year-old Lennytheshark.
The 12-strong Victoria Cup field will be declared early on Tuesday with the barrier draw later in the morning.
Guaranteed is the $4.50 favourite ahead of stablemate Philadelphia Man ($5.5), Beautide ($5.5), Adore Me ($7), Christen Me ($6), Terror To Love ($8), Im Corzin Terror ($51), For A Reason ($26) and David Hercules ($26).
All are considered certain starters.
Guaranteed had his last hit out in a trial in Ballarat on Saturday.
Australia’s number one pacer Beautide took out the trial, rating 1:58.5 for 2200m, with Guaranteed a close up third.
Philadelphia Man had his warm-up with a second in the Shepparton Cup on Saturday.
The six-year-old looked to have the race in his keeping the top of the home straight, but faded in the last 100m to be run down by Franco Ledger.
The loss ended an 11-race winning streak stretching back to April 2012.
The Stewart did not come up empty-handed at Shepparton though, with promising 4yo Yankee Rockstar ($1.60 favourite) making it 13 wins in 17 career starts in rating 1:54.1 in a c5/better pace, 1690m.
