Tulloch Lodge’s Format will take his place in Friday’s VRC St Leger at Flemington, though his path to the Listed feature has been less than conventional. Co-trainer Adrian Bott believes the detour could prove a blessing in disguise.

The three-year-old was meant to use the Tulloch Stakes as a springboard into the Group 1 ATC Australian Derby (2400m) earlier this month but was balloted out as third emergency, leaving him fresh for the historic 2800m contest.

“He went round in the market in the Tulloch, but he was disappointing that day,” Bott said.

“We were still willing to back him up in the Derby, but that didn’t eventuate, and the plan was to potentially always take him down for the St Leger anyway.

“Whether missing the Derby was a good thing in hindsight (we’ll find out).”

Since then, Format has relocated to Waterhouse and Bott’s Melbourne base and won a jumpout at Werribee last week, defeating Group 2 winner Lady In Pink over 1100 metres.

A son of Frankel, Format is out of Coolmore’s Fastnet Rock mare Nechita, who captured the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) in 2012. Her earlier foals include The Metropolitan placegetter Harpo Marx and European Group winners Artistic Star and Forebearance.

“He should appreciate the trip,” Bott said.

Bott and Waterhouse have a strong record in the VRC St Leger, having won with Order Of The Sun, Transact, Runaway, Sacramento and Hippopus. Format will attempt to join that list when he breaks from barrier eight under Ben Melham.