Pat Carey will be guided by the performance of Arenti in Saturday's heat three of the Winter Championship at Flemington as to whether he presses on to the final of the series early next month.Arenti, formerly prepared by John Meagher in Singapore, has had three starts for Mornington-based Carey including an encouraging third to Imashadow over 1200m when second-up at Flemington on April 25.However, stepping up to his pet trip of 1400m the seven-year-old ran below expectations when eighth to Satur

Pat Carey will be guided by the performance of Arenti in Saturday's heat three of the Winter Championship at Flemington as to whether he presses on to the final of the series early next month.

Arenti, formerly prepared by John Meagher in Singapore, has had three starts for Mornington-based Carey including an encouraging third to Imashadow over 1200m when second-up at Flemington on April 25.

However, stepping up to his pet trip of 1400m the seven-year-old ran below expectations when eighth to Saturday's rival Gold Salute at Flemington on May 16.

"He just went fairly last time after playing up at the barrier," Carey said.

Stewards ruled that Arenti had to obtain a barrier test certificate before racing again which he has successfully done.

Arenti, winner of the 2006 Group One Lion City Cup (1200m) at Kranji, has an excellent strike rate of nine wins and six placings from 20 starts including five wins at 1400m.

The O'Reilly gelding had 21 months between runs before making his comeback to racing for Carey after a leg injury.

He has worked well since his last outing and Carey is looking for an improved showing.

"I just want to see how he performs on Saturday before deciding which way we go with him," he said.

Luke Currie will ride Arenti replacing Steven Arnold who is riding Swick for the Bart Cummings stable in the $1 million Stradbroke (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

The $150,000 Listed Winter Championship Final is run over 1600m at Flemington on July 4 and Arenti is yet to race beyond 1400m.

Arenti's younger half-sister Glam Slam, prepared by Danny O'Brien, is backing up in Saturday's AR Creswick Stakes (1200m) at Flemington after running second to Chameleon over the same course last Saturday at her first start since arriving from New Zealand.

Meanwhile, 2006 Ballarat Cup (2200m) winner Rubijon is on trial for a start in the Final in Saturday's heat and trainer Colin Little is relying on a soft track to improve the chances of the Rubiton seven-year-old.

Rubijon was off the scene for two years after suffering an injury to his off-hind leg after running second to stablemate Blutigeroo in the Group Three Hobart Cup (2200m) in February 2007.

The gelding had three runs earlier this year and third-up was sixth of seven runners to Niconero in the Group One Futurity Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield.

He was beaten only 2-1/4 lengths when resuming with a sixth to Sensational Toy in a 1400m heat of the Winter Championship Series at Bendigo on May 21.

"He's really a 2000-metre plus horse and it's a pity it's not the old Flemington when you used to get a bog track during the winter, but I'll run him in two or three heats on the way to the Final," Little said.

The Peter Snowden-trained Testimonial and the Mark Riley-prepared Gold Salute share favouritism at $5 with TAB Sportsbet in an open race ahead of in-form mare Clandon at $8.50.

Arenti is at $12 while Rubijon is a $26 chance.