Winning the Hobartville Stakes might be hard for King Saul but his trainer hopes the three-year-old can enhance his Rosehill Guineas claims in the race.
The first Sydney clue to Perth galloper King Saul's Rosehill Guineas chances is tipped to be revealed at Rosehill on Saturday.
Earmarked for an autumn campaign after his WA Guineas win and Group One Kingston Town Classic placing, King Saul wasn't sighted at his first eastern states run in the Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m).
"It's hard to judge him on that," trainer Trevor Andrews said.
"I didn't have him cranked up and it was a pretty sharp race.
"Sure, you like to see them running home but it wasn't that sort of race because they ran quick time and kept going.
"His main goal is the Rosehill Guineas over 2000 metres so I wasn't overly disappointed."
King Saul has nine lengths to make up on the Royal Sovereign quinella pair of Hot Snitzel and Manawanui in Saturday's Group Two Hobartville Stakes and while Andrews can't see a reversal, he will be a happy trainer if the three-year-old can finish closer to the sprinters.
"You would imagine the Hobartville would be pretty much the same race again but the 1400 metres will help him find his feet a lot more," Andrews said.
"Hopefully that will allow him to finish off a bit better and I doubt we'll have any issues from here on in.
"He's out of a Zabeel mare so the further he goes the better he will be."
King Saul has been stationed at Randwick and race jockey Brenton Avdulla was in the saddle during trackwork on Tuesday morning.
"He worked on the course proper at Randwick and Brenton was happy with the way he galloped," Andrews said.
Andrews went close to winning the 1992 Hobartville Stakes when Heroicity was on the wrong end of a three-way finish.
Heroicity could then only manage a midfield finish in the Rosehill Guineas but a week later he beat the best weight-for-age stayers in training with his BMW win over Aquidity.
King Saul arrived in Sydney with three wins from five starts and he closed out a successful Perth summer carnival with a Group One placing against older horses in the Kingston Town Classic when ridden by Sydney jockey Glyn Schofield.
Schofield will be in an opposite corner on Saturday when he will be reunited with Hobartville rival Manawanui.
"The Kingston Town was over 1800 metres so that gives you an idea that he will get better in Sydney as the distances get longer," Andrews said.
