Queensland Derby runner-up Pinstripe Lane has been gelded since his winter Group One placing and will have a staying target during the Melbourne Cup carnival.
Troy Corstens, now training in partnership with his father Leon, said Pinstripe Lane was progressing nicely after a break and would trial in a couple of weeks.
He has been nominated for the Caulfield Cup but Corstens said he was mindful that might be a bit ambitious.
“I reckon he’s a real Queen Elizabeth Stakes sort of horse,” Corstens said.
“The final day (of the Melbourne Cup carnival) at Flemington, I reckon that will be right up his alley and that’s our main aim at this stage.
“It’s quite hard to line up Queensland Derby form going into the spring. You don’t want to get too far ahead of yourself, because sometimes they don’t stack up.”
Corstens believes the Caulfield Cup will come around too soon for Pinstripe Lane who is building nicely towards his return.
“He didn’t have that long off and being a gelding this time in, he’s a lot more clean winded than he was,” he said.
“But we’ve still got to get some miles into his legs to give him a good base (of fitness) to head into the spring.”
Group One winner Commanding Jewel won a jumpout at Flemington last Friday week and will continue her build up to a potential Cox Plate tilt with another trial.
“She’s a pleasure to do anything with and has come through her trial really well,” Corstens said.
“She will trial again down the straight at Flemington on Friday.”
Commanding Jewel is a $31 chance in early Cox Plate betting.
The five-year-old mare, whose racetrack career has been restricted to seven starts because of injury, has not started since winning the Group Two Let’s Elope Stakes at Flemington last September.
Another stablemate, VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes runner-up Awesome Rock, is also scheduled to have another jumpout at Flemington on Friday.
