The David Hayes stable is hoping to have two runners in next month's Winter Championship Final but will know more after Reverend Lovejoy contests Saturday's heat of the series at Flemington.The six-year-old, formerly prepared by Adam Durrant in Western Australia, has had five starts since arriving at Hayes' Flemington stables.Two starts back the Love A Dane gelding won over 1600m at Caulfield in April and he was a most unlucky sixth to Tee Emar when he struck interference near the 100m at his la

The David Hayes stable is hoping to have two runners in next month's Winter Championship Final but will know more after Reverend Lovejoy contests Saturday's heat of the series at Flemington.

The six-year-old, formerly prepared by Adam Durrant in Western Australia, has had five starts since arriving at Hayes' Flemington stables.

Two starts back the Love A Dane gelding won over 1600m at Caulfield in April and he was a most unlucky sixth to Tee Emar when he struck interference near the 100m at his latest appearance at Caulfield over 1800m on May 1.

"He's had a let-up since that run and if he can win or run very well on Saturday we'll look at running him in the final," stable manager Gary Fennessy said.

"He's won up to 2000 metres and the 1420 metres on Saturday will probably be a bit short for him but we have to kick off again."

Brad Rawiller will ride Reverend Lovejoy who is weighted to carry 59kg, a kilogram less than topweight Pinnacles who resumed with a 1200m win at Sandown last Saturday.

Reverend Lovejoy earned his weight by winning 14 races in the west including the 2009 Coolgardie Cup (1614m) and the Listed Boulder Cup (1760m), both at Kalgoorlie early this season.

The Flemington track was rated a slow (7) on Thursday but that holds no fears for the stable as Reverend Lovejoy won on a slow surface at Ascot at his only wet track run.

"We'll keep him going into the early spring as long as his form warrants it," Fennessy said.

Hayes' other Winter Championship Final contender is Silky Smooth who ran third to Tiakinui in the Ballarat 1600m heat on Thursday.

"It wasn't ideal to run him today at the mile. We'd have preferred him to run at the 1420 metres on Saturday but he was number 36 in the order of entry and wouldn't have got into the race," Fennessy said.

"But with today's placing he's picked up some points to get into the final now and he should be spot-on for it."

Darren Gauci, who has won four Winter Championship Finals, landed his second heat win of the 2010 series aboard former New Zealander Tiakinui, now prepared at Bendigo by Matthew Enright.

Gauci won the Flemington 1400m heat on June 8 aboard the Peter White-trained Jungle Ruler who also won a heat at Cranbourne on May 30 with Danny Brereton in the saddle.

Gauci rides the Robert Hickmott-trained Tindal in Saturday's heat.

First emergency Doubtful Jack, from the all-conquering Peter Moody stable, is $3.20 favourite with TAB Sportsbet.

The three-year-old impressed with a 4-1/4 length victory after racing on the pace over 1400m against his won age at Flemington on June 5 and should take catching with the minimum weight of 53kg if he secures a start.

The Listed $200,000 Winter Championship Final (1600m) is run at Flemington on July 10.