Peter Snowden is hoping that missing the Caulfield Guineas with lightly-raced three-year-old Demerit will translate into a Coolmore Stud Stakes victory at Flemington.Demerit would have been one of the favourites for the Guineas (1600m) after winning the 1400-metre Prelude at Caulfield in September but Snowden took the view that the distance would be too far and has freshened him for Saturday's Group One 1200-metre sprint."He's back a bit in distance on Saturday but he's had a month to get ready

Peter Snowden is hoping that missing the Caulfield Guineas with lightly-raced three-year-old Demerit will translate into a Coolmore Stud Stakes victory at Flemington.

Demerit would have been one of the favourites for the Guineas (1600m) after winning the 1400-metre Prelude at Caulfield in September but Snowden took the view that the distance would be too far and has freshened him for Saturday's Group One 1200-metre sprint.

"He's back a bit in distance on Saturday but he's had a month to get ready for it so I'm hoping he will be sharp enough and be competitive," Snowden said.

"He could have gone to the Caulfield Guineas but I didn't think he was seasoned enough to get that hard mile just yet."

Demerit has won two of his three starts and will be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy who won the 2002 Coolmore Stud Stakes on Innovation Girl.

In six of the last eight years the race has been won by favourites and Demerit and Thousand Guineas winner Irish Lights head most betting charts.

Snowden said Demerit takes a strong form line into the Coolmore Stud and that he was improving with each run.

"He's only had three starts and performed every time he's gone out," Snowden said.

"The bar was raised enormously high last start but he still won and that form is probably the best three-year-old form there is."

Demerit just held on to beat Trusting in the Guineas Prelude while Cox Plate runner-up Manhattan Rain was third and Caulfield Guineas winner Starspangledbanner fourth.

The challenge down the straight will be choosing which side of the track is faster but from barrier 10 McEvoy will have both options available to him.

"He (Demerit) has got a bit of gate speed and he is not going to be too far off them whether they go inside or outside," Snowden said.

Snowden and Irish Lights's trainer David Hayes both agreed that luck would play a big part in the race.

"In straight races you just have to be in the right place at the right time," Snowden said.

Hayes said Irish Light was top class and capable of making her own luck to a large extent.

"I think she has the ability to travel where she is comfortable and adopt a lane to find a run," he said.

"I'm pretty confident that she will."

Phelan Ready is a forgotten horse but jockey Brad Rawiller said that if he could replicate his fast-finishing second to Danleigh in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley two starts ago the Magic Millions and Golden Slipper Stakes winner would be hard to beat.

"His Manikato run was awesome and I'm certainly going in there Saturday with confidence knowing I will be on a very good horse," Rawiller said.