Northern Meteor is a slight doubt to run in Saturday's $1 million Newmarket Handicap at Flemington despite the fact Gai Waterhouse is very happy with the colt who she says has taken a long time to get race fit.Waterhouse said she wouldn't accept with Northern Meteor on Wednesday unless she felt the Encosta De Lago three-year-old was going to be "really, really competitive"."He's an unbelievably gross horse and incredibly hard to get fit. I can't fault his work the last three gallops," she said a

Northern Meteor is a slight doubt to run in Saturday's $1 million Newmarket Handicap at Flemington despite the fact Gai Waterhouse is very happy with the colt who she says has taken a long time to get race fit.

Waterhouse said she wouldn't accept with Northern Meteor on Wednesday unless she felt the Encosta De Lago three-year-old was going to be "really, really competitive".

"He's an unbelievably gross horse and incredibly hard to get fit. I can't fault his work the last three gallops," she said after Northern Meteor had a gallop around the turn on the course proper at Flemington on Tuesday.

"Before this he'd been too fat and I hadn't been happy with him but he's toned up dramatically.

"He's the sort of horse you've got to get into to make him find the line otherwise he'll have a cup of tea and a good lie down.

"But I'm really happy with him. I can't fault him. I won't start him unless I'm 100 per cent happy with him. I'll take him back to Sydney."

Before coming to Melbourne, Northern Meteor ran second, beaten a head by Newmarket rival Fist Of Fury, in a Randwick 800m barrier trial on January 30 before winning a similar trial by two lengths from Global Warming on February 9.

"I gave him two trials in Sydney because I wasn't happy with his condition. The second trial was much better," Waterhouse said.

Northern Meteor is unbeaten in three starts since joining the Waterhouse stable and hasn't raced since his half-length win over Fist Of Fury in the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Derby Day.

"They are both very good horses, ours is a much bigger horse than Fist Of Fury. He's almost two hands bigger and he's beaten him already the one time they met," Waterhouse said.

Eagle Farm trainer Barry Baldwin said he was disappointed with Burdekin Blues who was beaten in an 800m jumpout at Flemington on Tuesday.

The Sequalo four-year-old, who has won at his past four starts including an all-the-way victory in the Group Two Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on February 7, led in the trial but finished second to Doncaster Handicap winner Triple Honour who got up on his inside.

"It was OK, the horse on his inside seemed to go a bit better than him. I was a little disappointed he didn't finish it off a bit better," he said.

Burdekin Blues, who was ridden in the jumpout by race jockey Larry Cassidy, remains equal favourite at $7 in TAB Sportsbet's fixed odds market with Fist Of Fury and Northern Meteor ahead of Lightning Stakes winner Scenic Blast at $8.50.

Meanwhile, Australian Guineas $3.20 favourite Fravashi has continued to please the Peter Snowden stable since his win over Nicconi in the Group Two D'Urban Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last Saturday week.

"We can't get him any better," Paul Snowden said.

The Falbrav colt wore blinkers for the first time when he defeated Nicconi by a short neck and Peter Snowden said the spacious Flemington track would suit him even better,

Two of David Hayes' Guineas prospects, Nicconi ($5.50) and Eagle Falls ($9), worked together on Tuesday and impressed in their workout on the course proper.