While owner John Cordina is dreaming about running Gallant Tess in the Cox Plate the mare's trainer David Payne is adopting a slightly more cautious approach.Gallant Tess toppled Triple Honour in the Chelmsford Stakes and would need to do the same again in Saturday's George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick to warrant aiming as high as Australia's weight-for-age championship and a battle with Weekend Hussler."If she can't win the George Main it's pointless even thinking about the Cox Plate," Payne

While owner John Cordina is dreaming about running Gallant Tess in the Cox Plate the mare's trainer David Payne is adopting a slightly more cautious approach.

Gallant Tess toppled Triple Honour in the Chelmsford Stakes and would need to do the same again in Saturday's George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick to warrant aiming as high as Australia's weight-for-age championship and a battle with Weekend Hussler.

"If she can't win the George Main it's pointless even thinking about the Cox Plate," Payne said.

"If she happens to win we'll go for it.

"She is also still in the Epsom and she's well handicapped in that so it remains an option."

Gallant Tess has 53kg in the Group One Epsom Handicap (1600m) on October 4 but weights will be raised if George Main contenders Niconero (57kg) Mentality (56kg) and Triple Honour (56kg) don't back up.

The minimum topweight required is 57kg.

As a two-year-old, Gallant Tess was placed at Group One level in the Champagne Stakes won by Mentality but history is against her in the George Main.

The last mare to win the race was New Zealander Ma Chiquita in 1986 with the great Sunline second to Shogun Lodge in 1999 and third to Defier three years later.

But Payne has made a habit in recent weeks of going against the trend with Hurried Choice beating a quality field including Forensics and Mentality in the Theo Marks Stakes two weeks ago.

Among Payne's other runners at Randwick Saturday is the former bad boy of Sydney racing, Lang, in the Colin Stephen Quality (2400m).

The six-year-old is among nominations for the Melbourne Cup, something Payne feared would never happen after he proved hard for jockeys to handle early in his career.

But he turned the corner in the autumn with his third to No Wine No Song in the Sydney Cup over the 3200 metres of Australia's most famous race.

He has been unplaced in two starts this campaign but Payne said he expected a good performance over a longer journey.

"He will be better over the 2400 metres but he is really looking for two miles," he said.

"He is a very quiet horse now. He used to be an idiot but it's like teenagers - they grow out of it."

Fiumicino is the early favourite for the Colin Stephen following his return to form in last week's Hill Stakes.

His win over 1900 metres was his first since he took out the 2007 AJC Australian Derby (2400m).

He is currently at $11 for the Group One Metropolitan Handicap (2400m) on October 4.