Trainer Robbie Griffiths is already mapping out another trip to Perth next year with Rey Magnerio, with The Quokka at Ascot firmly on the radar.

Before that long-range target, the gelding lines up in Saturday’s Group 3 The Gold Rush (1400m), his second run for the preparation in Western Australia.

Griffiths said Rey Magnerio has thrived since arriving in Perth and the warmer conditions have played a key role in his progress.

“There has been some interest in him for The Quokka and the way he travelled over and has thrived, I think it is something that we should look at,” Griffiths said.

“Every time we have tried to go to The Goodwood in May, he turns into a hairy yak and breaks into a winter coat earlier than others, so we haven’t been able to take him away.

“We thought we’d take him for the warmer weather and if it all worked well there, then we could take him to a Doomben 10,000 and then into The Stradbroke.”

Rey Magnerio made his Perth debut in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) on November 29, finishing an impressive third.

William Pike takes the reins again on Saturday, and Griffiths has no concerns about the gelding stretching to 1400m for the first time.

“We haven’t needed to try him at the trip before because he’s always had suitable sprint races in front of him,” Griffiths said.

“He pulled up fantastic after the Winterbottom, so instead of resting and waiting for a Rubiton Stakes worth $200,000, there was a $1.5 million race right in front of us and he’s thriving.

“He’s out of a Testa Rossa mare and I’ve trained horses from the family who have won up to 2000 metres, and some of our Magnus’ like King Magnus have had their best form at a mile.

“On genetics, he should run it easily — we just haven’t tested him yet.”

From barrier five, Griffiths expects Rey Magnerio to be prominent, though tactics will be left to Pike.

“A few horses will go forward and take those spots, but I can’t see him being far away,” he said.

“Pikey was pretty adamant that if you switched barriers with Jokers Grin in the Winterbottom, he would have had the sit he wanted and it might have been a different story.”

Punters can compare prices for The Gold Rush at Australia’s top betting sites.