First-up specialist Tesbury Jack has unexpectedly been saddled with a daunting assignment against Australia's best sprinters Weekend Hussler and Apache Cat in the Australia Stakes after bushfires sidetracked his autumn campaign.Bairnsdale trainer Julie Scott planned to run the six-year-old first up in Sunday's Doveton Handicap at Caulfield but decided the trip was too risky when bushfires closed the Princes Highway."I would have had to detour to get to Caulfield and then I thought I might not ha

First-up specialist Tesbury Jack has unexpectedly been saddled with a daunting assignment against Australia's best sprinters Weekend Hussler and Apache Cat in the Australia Stakes after bushfires sidetracked his autumn campaign.

Bairnsdale trainer Julie Scott planned to run the six-year-old first up in Sunday's Doveton Handicap at Caulfield but decided the trip was too risky when bushfires closed the Princes Highway.

"I would have had to detour to get to Caulfield and then I thought I might not have been able to get home because of the fires," Scott said.

She said in hindsight delaying Tesbury Jack's campaign may have been blessing after watching the Caulfield track chop up.

"As it turned out I was extremely pleased that I didn't go because that track was an absolute disgrace at Caulfield," Scott said.

"I understand that tracks have to have give in them but it was worse than that.

"It was very shifty."

A noted firm ground horse, Tesbury Jack has posted four of his seven wins at Caulfield but Scott said she had lost confidence in the track.

She said under the circumstances, Saturday's Group One Australia Stakes (1200m) was a preferable target to the Group One Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield a week later.

Only eight horses are entered for the Australia Stakes with Apache Cat trying to win the race for the second year in a row.

Weekend Hussler will have his first start at Moonee Valley after he resumed with a luckless fourth to Scenic Blast in the Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on January 31.

Other Australia Stakes nominations are Lucky Secret, Mind Your Head, Orange County, Vormista and three-year-old Time Thief.

Tesbury Jack lost form at the end of last spring but significantly has won stakes races first-up in his last two campaigns.

In 2007 he won the Group Two Thai Airways International Sprint at Caulfield and at the same track last July won the Listed Monash Stakes at weight-for-age.

His only Moonee Valley run was as a three-year-old when his jockey unsuccessfully protested after the horse hit the running rail and finished third to Biscayne Bay.

Scott said Tesbury Jack could not escape coming up against top horses and she was prepared to give him his chance against the best.

He went close to winning a Group One race when second to Let Go Thommo in the 2007 Goodwood Handicap.

"At his best would be competitive with them (in the Australia Stakes)," Scott said.

"We can't be hiding."

Entries for the Australia Stakes as well as Group Two features, the Alister Clark Stakes and Sunline Stakes, are extended until Tuesday morning.

David Hayes has three of eight nominations for the Alister Clark Stakes with Eagle Falls, Stokehouse and Wookah while 12 horses were nominated for the Sunline.