Team Hawkes is giving Rainbow Styling the benefit of the doubt by running him over 2400 metres in Saturday's Group Two Sandown Classic.John Hawkes, who trains in partnership with his sons Wayne and Michael, said that Rainbow Styling has earned a shot at the weight-for-age feature due to his good spring form."He's fine, he's had a good spring and he's earned a crack at a race like that," John Hawkes said."He'll be competitive."The 2400 metres is about his limit, he doesn't quite run it but anyway

Team Hawkes is giving Rainbow Styling the benefit of the doubt by running him over 2400 metres in Saturday's Group Two Sandown Classic.

John Hawkes, who trains in partnership with his sons Wayne and Michael, said that Rainbow Styling has earned a shot at the weight-for-age feature due to his good spring form.

"He's fine, he's had a good spring and he's earned a crack at a race like that," John Hawkes said.

"He'll be competitive.

"The 2400 metres is about his limit, he doesn't quite run it but anyway you've got to put them in and give them a try occasionally.

"He might get a nice run with the small field but if the rain comes and it's a bog track he most probably won't run.

"He's not as good on wet ground. We've just got to hope the rain stays away."

The track was a good (3) on Friday but between 25mm and 80mm of rain is forecast from Friday night through Saturday.

Rainbow Styling will be ridden by Luke Nolen who rode the gelding for the first time at his last start when he was seventh to So You Think in the Group One Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.

Four starts back the Zabeel six-year-old landed the best of his seven wins from 29 starts in the Group Three Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield before finishing runner-up to Precedence in the Group Three JRA Cup (2040m) at Moonee Valley.

Rainbow Styling has raced over 2400m four times for a second, a third and two fourths including the 2008 Queensland Derby on a slow track won by Riva San.

His latest try at the trip was when runner-up to Fairygem in the Listed Australia Day Cup at Randwick in January.

Meanwhile, owner Lloyd Williams said Zipping ($1.60 fav) was in "very good order" for his attempt at making it an historic four straight Sandown Classic victories.

The nine-year-old would join Lord, Manikato and Tie The Knot as the only Australian horses to win a Group race four years in a row.

Lord won the Group Two Memsie Stakes from 1958 to 1961, Manikato the Group Two William Reid Stakes five times from 1979 to 1983 and Tie The Knot the Group One Chipping Norton Stakes from 1999 to 2002.

Williams said Zipping was ridden too far back before running on strongly to finish fourth to Americain in the Melbourne Cup, probably costing him a place.

"I'll be telling Nick (Hall) to be aggressive on him tomorrow for the first two furlongs (400m)," Williams told radio station Sport 927.

"In this sort of race it could easily be that there is no pace in the race at all.

"And I'll be telling Nick that if he gets left in front I don't even mind.

If he was rolling along in front I don't think they'd beat him."