A good run at Caulfield on Saturday will see Bartholdi press on to the Group One South Australian Derby in May.The Statue Of Liberty gelding will race with winkers on for the first time in the Sportingbet Hcp (1600m) in which he will jump from barrier one with Mark Pegus aboard."He's a good horse, I've got a lot of time for him but tomorrow will tell us a lot more," Benalla trainer Wayne Nichols said."He'll either be heading towards the SA Derby or he'll be in the paddock next week.""He's absolu

A good run at Caulfield on Saturday will see Bartholdi press on to the Group One South Australian Derby in May.

The Statue Of Liberty gelding will race with winkers on for the first time in the Sportingbet Hcp (1600m) in which he will jump from barrier one with Mark Pegus aboard.

"He's a good horse, I've got a lot of time for him but tomorrow will tell us a lot more," Benalla trainer Wayne Nichols said.

"He'll either be heading towards the SA Derby or he'll be in the paddock next week."

"He's absolutely thriving at home and his work's been good. I couldn't be happier with the horse."

A $20,000 yearling purchase in Melbourne, Bartholdi is a half-brother to Bohemiath who won the 1998 VRC St Leger, the 1999 Geelong Cup and the 2000 Adelaide Cup.

Nichols, who broke in and educated Bohemiath, didn't attend the yearling sales thinking Bartholdi would make too much money but he was given the gelding to train by the owners.

A surprise 1000m winner at Flemington when resuming from a spell four starts back on December 20, Bartholdi had an eight-week break before finishing fourth to Mic Mac over 1200m at Moonee Valley on February 14.

He then ran ninth to Fravashi in the Group Two D'Urban Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield and 11th to Heart Of Dreams in the Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.

"This race is lengths inferior to his last two starts and he is not in harshly at the weights," Nichols said.

"We've put the winkers on to try and switch him on a little bit and I'm hoping Mark can give him a nice cold ride midfield somewhere and see if he can finish it off."

Meanwhile, the Luke Oliver-trained Midnight Mustang has been heavily backed into $3.20 favouritism with TAB Sportsbet for the Thoroughbred Club Cup (1200m).

The five-year-old has been backed to win $40,000 and has firmed from $6 following bets of $4,000 the win at $6 and $3,000 the place at $2.25, $500 at $4.80, $1,000 at $4.40, $1,500 at $4 and $3,600 at $3.80.

Midnight Mustang, who has won five of his last six starts, is one of a strong book of eight rides leading jockey Craig Williams has at the meeting.

The gelding won races at Wangaratta, Morphettville, Murtoa and Horsham before finishing sixth to Chasm in the Peninsula Cup (1500m) at Mornington on November 2.

He resumed with a three-quarter length victory over Passing Salute over 1100m at Stony Creek on March 8.

Caulfield-based Oliver has had metropolitan success with the likes of Bagot Handicap winner Good Red, Sensational Toy and Ulysses and has a good record of winning races with tried horses.