Tried And Tired will get his second chance in a Winter Championship Final at Flemington and co-trainer Troy Corstens admits the gelding’s effectiveness at the distance is still a question mark.

Tried And Tired has only raced over 1600m once and that was when eighth in last year’s Winter Championship Final.

He still ran well to be beaten less than five lengths that day behind Akavoroun and was hampered at the 100m mark.

Saturday’s Winter Championship Final has attracted a capacity field of 16 plus four emergencies with Tried And Tired drawing barrier seven with Steven Arnold to ride.

He will come in to gate five if the emergencies don’t gain a start.

“The little question mark would be the mile,” Corstens said.

“Maybe 1400 metres is his pet distance but it’s hard to knock a chance like this when he’s going all right, he’s drawn well and we’ve got a good jockey on.”

Corstens believes getting cover and relaxing will be the key to Tried And Tired’s chances.

Tried And Tired will be striving to break through for his first win of the campaign.

A Listed winner at 1200m and winner of seven races from 22 starts, Tried And Tired will be backing up in the $150,000 race after finishing second to front-runner Charmed Harmony over 1400m last weekend at Caulfield.

Corstens believes Tried And Tired’s performance behind Charmed Harmony had plenty of merit because the gelding was galloped on during the race.

“He actually got galloped on quite badly and his near hind tendon blew right up,” Corstens said.

“We treated it and it has come down and he’s made a full recovery, but it would’ve been quite painful.

“He worked this morning and is jumping out of his skin.”

Connections did have races in Queensland on the radar during the winter carnival but that didn’t eventuate.

“It would have been nice to see him put a race away by now this preparation, but hopefully he can do that in the final,” Corstens said.

Article from justhorseracing.com.au