The Cox Plate and the Dubai Duty Free are amongst the tempting options in the new season for reigning Horse of the Year Weekend Hussler.Trainer Ross McDonald has had the rising five-year-old back at his Caulfield stable for the past month.So far Weekend Hussler's work has been restricted to the water treadmill."We'll put a saddle on him in the next week or so and start trotting him," McDonald said."We'll bring him along quietly as he comes to hand quickly so we don't want him ready too soon."The

The Cox Plate and the Dubai Duty Free are amongst the tempting options in the new season for reigning Horse of the Year Weekend Hussler.

Trainer Ross McDonald has had the rising five-year-old back at his Caulfield stable for the past month.

So far Weekend Hussler's work has been restricted to the water treadmill.

"We'll put a saddle on him in the next week or so and start trotting him," McDonald said.

"We'll bring him along quietly as he comes to hand quickly so we don't want him ready too soon.

"The Cox Plate would probably be the end of his (spring) campaign if we go that way.

"Dubai is still on the cards, it was just bad luck that we missed out this year.

"There are a lot of options for him but he won't be overtaxed, we want him around for a few years so we'll pick what we think we can win and go there."

The Hussonet gelding, a winner of 12 of his 19 starts, was found to have a back ailment after he was thoroughly vetted in the days following his disappointing second-up fifth of seven behind Apache Cat in the Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on February 14.

Later that month he was an acceptor for the Futurity Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield but was scratched due to a joint injury to his off foreleg.

That combined with the back trouble, put an end to his planned trip to Dubai for the Duty Free (1777m) in late March.

"He looks great," McDonald said.

"We haven't mapped out a plan yet but he'll probably resume in late August in one of those weight-for-age sprint races and take it from there," McDonald said.

Weekend Hussler won six Group One races as a three-year-old and was voted Australia's champion racehorse.

This season he has raced eight times for three successive wins last spring, adding a seventh Group One victory to his resume in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.