Trainer Rick Worthington is expecting Sainthood's trip for Friday's $130,000 Wagga Gold Cup to be another important step in the seasoning of the talented four-year-old.Sainthood is the early equal favourite for Friday's 2000m Listed feature on the back of several creditable performances in good company during the Sydney autumn carnival.The Lonhro gelding was also nominated for Saturday's $100,000 Lord Mayor's Cup over the same distance at Rosehill but Worthington is happy to head to Wagga.He bel

Trainer Rick Worthington is expecting Sainthood's trip for Friday's $130,000 Wagga Gold Cup to be another important step in the seasoning of the talented four-year-old.

Sainthood is the early equal favourite for Friday's 2000m Listed feature on the back of several creditable performances in good company during the Sydney autumn carnival.

The Lonhro gelding was also nominated for Saturday's $100,000 Lord Mayor's Cup over the same distance at Rosehill but Worthington is happy to head to Wagga.

He believes Sainthood has plenty of ability but said he was still in need of seasoning before he reaches his best in the future.

"What this preparation has done is that it's helped season him and toughen him up a bit more," Worthington said, adding that Sainthood would be sent for a break after Friday's race.

The trainer has used the past three weeks since Sainthood finished fourth to Herculian Prince in the Listed JRA Plate (2000m) to improve the gelding's fitness levels.

Sainthood lost his rider at the beginning of the Group Three Newcastle Newmarket (1400m) on March 17 and Worthington said he'd been a run behind since then.

The Newmarket disappointment came after Sainthood claimed the Listed National Sprint (1400m) at Canberra on March 7.

His subsequent starts during the autumn were a fourth to Brilliant Light in the Group Two Ajax Stakes (1500m) and a fifth to the same galloper in the Listed Doncaster Prelude (1600m) before his JRA Plate fourth.

Worthington elected to run Sainthood in the JRA Plate rather than tackle the Group One Doncaster Mile on the same day.

"I had a few people say I probably should have run him in the Doncaster but my gut said don't, and long-term I think it will be the right decision," he said.

Worthington said the positive to come out of the JRA Plate was that it gave Sainthood a chance to "stick his toe in the water" at 2000m, and jockey Craig Newitt confirmed to him that the distance is no problem for the gelding going forward.

"The three weeks since that run has given us the chance to catch up somewhat and I'm very happy with the way he's going into this race at Wagga," the trainer said.

"I feel he's now where he should've been in the JRA Plate three weeks ago so he goes into the Cup (at Wagga) with a genuine chance."

Sainthood was the $4.40 equal favourite with TAB Sportsbet on Thursday along with the Tim Martin-trained Scouting Wide and Richard Freyer's Leica Larrikin.

Glen Boss will be aboard Sainthood at Wagga.