Trainer Dominic Sutton has a decision to make with Feroce in the lead-up to Australian Guineas at Flemington.
The Caulfield Guineas runner-up will have only one run before the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington in March.
That first-up run will come in either the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 8, or the Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington the following week.
“He’s better performed at Caulfield, but the Group 1 is at Flemington,” Sutton said.
“I think the more exposure we can give him at Flemington would be better leading into a Group 1 race, but he seems to be furnishing.”
Sutton gave Feroce his second trial in preparation for his return when the gelding chased home Sophia’s Magic in a 1200m heat at Geelong on Wednesday morning with Billy Egan in the saddle.
“I decided to trial him over the 1200 metres rather than the 1000 metres, simply because we’re going first-up over 1400 metres and then straight into the Australian Guineas,” Sutton said.
“I wanted him to have a nice, strong piece of work this morning and he was excellent.
“Billy’s comment after the trial was that he feels like he’s matured again this time in.
“He relaxed nicely, went through his gears in the right manner to the line.”
Sutton said Feroce was only afforded a couple of weeks off after his spring campaign which wound up after finishing third in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on November 2.
“I wanted to give him plenty of time to have him ready for the Guineas second-up,” Sutton said.
“We didn’t want to overtax him. He’s had two nice trials now.
“We’re just going to weigh-up whether we go to Caulfield, Saturday week, or we wait for the C S Hayes the week after.”
Sutton now has 18 boxes at Flemington which he moved into earlier in the month and after starting his campaign at Ballarat, Feroce headed there after his jump-out at Werribee on January 17.
“He’s housed there now and has settled in very well and hopefully we might be able to sneak onto the course proper for a gallop before the Guineas if we’re lucky,” Sutton said.