Jockey Brad Rawiller believes Mahuta will be better suited stepping up in distance at Caulfield on Saturday.

The winner of his last six races, Mahuta goes beyond a mile for the first time in the Group 2 Ladbrokes Caulfield Autumn Classic (1800m).

Mahuta won twice over 1600 metres in the spring but his two victories so far this year have been at 1400m, including a fighting last-start victory in the Autumn Stakes.

Rawiller has been aboard for Mahuta’s last four wins and believes the colt will relish the longer journey.

“To be honest I think he’ll be better,” Rawiller told Michael Felgate on RSN Racing And Sport.

“With his cruising speed, he gets into a good rhythm – no question the other day we wouldn’t have wanted a metre beyond 1400 but it was a different race with a different tempo and different field.

“When it’s an 1800m race you ride completely different and what was so good about that win he had 59kg so he was giving away 5kg (to the runner-up), which is a lot of weight.”

By contrast the Autumn Classic is run at set weights so sees all colts and geldings carrying 57kg, with Mahuta’s stablemate Powderworks carting 55kg as the lone filly in the race.

Rawiller said the race could decide Mahuta’s autumn path as while he believes it is the perfect race for him tomorrow, it could make it difficult to drop 200 metres to the Australian Guineas a week later.

“That’s where Darren Weir is the best in the land and he really needs to be commended with this horse – he wasn’t won past a Group 2 race and he’s won just over $1.7million,” Rawiller said.

“Whatever Darren decides will be the best way forward.”

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