A horse who has raced in Australia’s best sprints without winning will be given another chance to break through at Group One level if he justifies his trainer’s confidence at Scone on Saturday.

Aeronautical is on trial for next month’s Stradbroke Handicap and Lionel Cohen expects the sprinter to enhance his claims when he runs in the $140,000 Ortensia Stakes.

Cohen counts firmer footing and a fast tempo as key factors for Aeronautical, a five-year-old who has contested the Newmarket Handicap, the Canterbury Stakes, the Lightning Stakes and the TJ Smith Stakes during the past 15 months of racing.

He failed on a wet track at his most recent Group One start in last month’s TJ Smith but Cohen said the result only confirmed Aeronautical’s dislike for soft ground.

“In hindsight I would have scratched him from the TJ but those races are so rare that you’re there and the horse is well enough and you take your chances,” Cohen said.

“It didn’t harm him and he’s had a good prep and all going well I’m very confident he can win at Scone.”

Scone has won out over Doomben as Aeronautical’s lead-up run to the Stradbroke for which he is a $61 chance.

“I was very tempted to go to Brisbane this week but I didn’t want to take the risk of getting a rain-affected track up there,” Cohen said.

Aeronautical rebounded from his unplaced run in the TJ to finish in the minor placing behind Hot Snitzel in the Hall Mark Stakes and he has been kept fresh for Saturday’s 1100m scamper.

Bookmakers have Aeronautical as $5.50 second favourite behind Ichihara, a natural speedster who led until the final stride when she resumed over 1000m at Hawkesbury last Saturday week.