Lightly-raced galloper Rekindled Interest needs to make a statement in the Memsie Stakes that he is a Cox Plate horse.Trainer Jim Conlan said the four-year-old's first test at weight-for-age in Saturday's 1400-metre Caulfield feature would define his spring campaign.Rekindled Interest made a stunning return to the track when an eye-catching second to Temple Of Boom in the Aurie's Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on August 6 and Conlan now wants the gelding to go to another level.He said the s

Lightly-raced galloper Rekindled Interest needs to make a statement in the Memsie Stakes that he is a Cox Plate horse.

Trainer Jim Conlan said the four-year-old's first test at weight-for-age in Saturday's 1400-metre Caulfield feature would define his spring campaign.

Rekindled Interest made a stunning return to the track when an eye-catching second to Temple Of Boom in the Aurie's Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on August 6 and Conlan now wants the gelding to go to another level.

He said the son of Redoute's Choice appeared to have what it takes to be a weight-for-age horse but he wants to see clear evidence.

"Sometimes after a race you start dissecting it and try to look for positives and generally when you are having to look for them it means it's been an average run," Conlan said.

"You actually need to see something that is obvious.

"He (Rekindled Interest) wants to do something on the weekend so you know exactly where you are going from there.

"His first-up run, it was obvious, it was good, he was back and he travelled strongly in the race all the way.

"He could have let down at any stage.

"That is what I want to see this weekend. Just the bleeding obvious.

"He is pretty untapped and I expect him to perform well on Saturday but whether that is good enough to win is another thing."

TAB Sportsbet has Rekindled Interest at $18 for the Cox Plate, $26 for the Caulfield Cup and $35 for the Melbourne Cup.

He has raced only eight times but already has been competitive at Group One level, running fifth in both last year's Caulfield Guineas and Victoria Derby.

His best of two wins was last year's Group Two AAMI Vase (2040m), a support race on Cox Plate day in which he defeated subsequent Derby winner Lion Tamer by 2-1/2 lengths.

He has been carefully managed since last spring and had maintenance work after the Derby when he had arthroscopic surgery on a knee.

"He's perfectly sound," Conlansaid.

"He would have been fine to race in the autumn but we decided to give him a preparation and not run him.

"We didn't want to put too much pressure on him and gave him a good spell through the winter to bring him up for the spring which has worked out well for him."

Conlan said Rekindled Interest had furnished into a stronger and tougher horse.

"He has improved and I think he is more professional now," Conlan said.

"He used to get out of his ground and hit a flat spot but I reckon this time in we will be able to put him into the race a bit and have him up in the first half of the field which makes the job a lot easier for him."

Conlan said that if Rekindled Interest could fire in the Memsie it would set him up for Caulfield Group One features, the Underwood Stakes (1800m) and The Yalumba Stakes (2000m) leading up to the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.

If not he will go down a handicap path which would open up the Caulfield Cup as a target.

"I don't know that he is a Melbourne Cup horse. I would think he is a little bit delicate but who knows," Conlan said.