The scarcity of fitting three-year-old events has trainer Peter Moody directing two stayer hopefuls to the Australian Guineas, much to his chagrin.
Nominations for Victorious Spirit and Bingi cover the 1600m Group 1 at Flemington Saturday, plus a matching benchmark 66 at Cranbourne Friday against veterans.
At Cranbourne, the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman stablemates would bear 61.5kg and 60kg, yet Moody prefers the Saturday path.
"I probably don't need to be butting heads with those horses but it's the race that will take me to where I want him to be and Bingi is a bit the same," Moody said.
"I'm nearly forced to run them because there's no three-year-old race at a mile on a Wednesday meeting, or anything like that, and really there's only the Guineas, and if you want to go to 2000 (metres) at your next start, it doesn't help.
"He (Victorious Spirit) went well first-up and there may be worse than him there, but it would be nice to find something easier, and it would be cheaper than running in a Group 1.
"Hopefully he can finish in the top five to pay for the day."
A field of 12 is nominated to the Australian Guineas, featuring Observer and Planet Red – victors of one-two in the Autumn Stakes (1400m) over Victorious Spirit in third – and Flemington C S Hayes conqueror Sixties.
Australian Derby dreams fuel Moody's plans for Victorious Spirit, son of Ghaiyyath who sired Victoria Derby champ Observer, though timing concerns linger; co-trainer sees Bingi thriving at 2000m.
"He's the right horse for the Derby, but whether he's mature enough," Moody said of Victorious Spirit.
"We've got three Derbies still left, so there's a chance he could run in one of them.
"The Australian Derby is the only one I haven't won.
"I've won over in Perth, I've won the Northern Territory Derby as an owner, I've won in Tasmania, I've won a few in Queensland, as well Victoria and South Australia.
"I've been placed in the Australian Derby, so it's an itch I want to scratch."
Fans can find competitive racing betting markets for the upcoming Australian Guineas.