Emerging three-year-old Pre Eminence is set to strengthen his Australian Cup claims in the Group Two Autumn Classic at Caulfield.Trainer Mick Price and jockey Craig Newitt are excited about the Encosta De Lago gelding who surprised them last start with his emphatic second-up win in the Group Alister Clark Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley.Newitt said Pre Eminence was better suited over 1800 metres and is confident he has improved again for Saturday's Group Two feature over that distance."He is goi
Emerging three-year-old Pre Eminence is set to strengthen his Australian Cup claims in the Group Two Autumn Classic at Caulfield.
Trainer Mick Price and jockey Craig Newitt are excited about the Encosta De Lago gelding who surprised them last start with his emphatic second-up win in the Group Alister Clark Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley.
Newitt said Pre Eminence was better suited over 1800 metres and is confident he has improved again for Saturday's Group Two feature over that distance.
"He is going really well," Newitt said.
"He is only going to get better the further he goes and all going well on Saturday he will back up in the Australian Cup a week later."
The Alister Clark is a traditional lead-up to the Autumn Classic and Spinney (2006) was the last horse to win both races while Dignity Dancer (1999) and Pins (2000) also landed the double.
"It is the same sort of race as the Alister Clark and I can't see why he couldn't win again on Saturday," Newitt said.
"He has drawn well (five) and he's going to race a lot handier than he did last start."
Newitt purposely rode Pre Eminence cold in the Alister Clark and made a long run on him from the 800 metres to win by 1-1/4 lengths from Eagle Falls.
Eagle Falls won't appear on Saturday but Peter Moody's third and fourth-placed Alister Clark stablemates Definitive and Excelltastic will again take on Pre Eminence.
Pre Eminence is $10 equal second favourite with Master O'Reilly and Baughurst for the weight-for-age Australian Cup (2000m) which hasn't been won by a three-year-old since Saintly in 1996.
The winner of three of his nine starts and with a third in last year's Victoria Derby to his credit, Pre Eminence is the shortest-priced Australian Cup contender racing on Saturday.
Other Australian Cup hopes are Futurity Stakes runners El Segundo ($13), Scenic Shot ($18), Niconero ($18) and Annenkov ($51) and Sportingbet Gold Cup runners Road To Rock ($15), Kibbutz ($16) and Arapaho Miss ($35).
Last week's St George Stakes winner Theseo continues to firm for the Australian Cup and is $2.25 with TAB Sportsbet.