Top trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith and owner-breeder Des Pope are set to combine and try for a second Sir John Monash Stakes victory with in-form sprinter Gran Sasso who is closely related to their 2002 winner Rubitano.Gran Sasso's dam Lady Soffel is a sister to former star sprinter Rubitano, both by Rubiton out of The Judge mare Mrs Soffel.Lady Soffel won the first three of her six race starts for Mayfield-Smith including a victory at Sandown, while Rubitano was the standout of Mrs Soffel's seven

Top trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith and owner-breeder Des Pope are set to combine and try for a second Sir John Monash Stakes victory with in-form sprinter Gran Sasso who is closely related to their 2002 winner Rubitano.

Gran Sasso's dam Lady Soffel is a sister to former star sprinter Rubitano, both by Rubiton out of The Judge mare Mrs Soffel.

Lady Soffel won the first three of her six race starts for Mayfield-Smith including a victory at Sandown, while Rubitano was the standout of Mrs Soffel's seven winners to race with 11 wins from 21 starts.

Those victories included the 2002 Newmarket Handicap and Salinger Stakes, both at Group One level, as well as the Group Two Caulfield Sprint, Group Three Bletchingly Stakes and two Listed sprints at Caulfield including the Monash.

Gran Sasso has continued the success of the family with seven wins, nine seconds and three thirds for $351,788 in prizemoney from 24 starts.

On Saturday he tries to make it four straight wins following victories at Flemington over 1200m (twice) and 1000m and his preparation may continue into next month.

"It depends on how he runs on Saturday but because he's doing it so easily if he won well and pulled up well it would be silly to put him out when there is a race like the Bletchingly Stakes not far away," Mayfield-Smith said.

"If you've got a fitness edge on most of the other horses coming back you might as well use it while you've got a horse going well."

The Group Three Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) is at Caulfield on August 1.

It wasn't until Gran Sasso was gelded at the start of his current campaign, and more patient riding tactics were employed, that he started to produce his best.

Jockey Chris Symons linking up with the Dehere rising five-year-old at his past four starts has also been significant.

Symons rode him third-up this preparation when he was beaten a head when runner-up to Midnight Mustang in the Listed Straight Six (1200m) at Flemington on May 30 and has been unbeaten on him since.

Gran Sasso, placed once from three starts at Caulfield, has drawn barrier one in the eight-horse field for the 1100m weight-for-age feature in which one of his rivals is stablemate Orange County, the winner of the Group One Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last September, who is resuming.

"He's come back better than ever and he's raring to go," Mayfield-Smith said.

"He definitely looks better than he's ever looked and he's moving really well and I just feel that coming up to the spring it's a good start with him."

Craig Williams takes the mount on the grey who drew barrier two.

Gran Sasso is favourite at $2.90 with TAB Sportsbet ahead of I Am Invincible at $3.30, Damselfly ($5), Orange County ($6), Global Warming at $9 with Rubiton Stakes winner Mind Your Head next best at $10.