Following a dominant performance in the Listed Galilee Series Final (2400m), Emma-Lee and David Browne are now weighing up Derby options for their progressive three-year-old Statuario.

The win has placed the gelding on course for a possible appearance in either the South Australian Derby or the Queensland Derby, with both Group 1 targets firmly in play.

David Browne confirmed post-race that the team would take time to decide on the next move for the rising stayer.

“We’ll have to weigh up now whether we give him a little freshen now and head up to Queensland or whether we take the four-week gap and head over to Adelaide for the Derby,” Browne said.

“The South Australian Derby looks a nice race for him, if he comes through this well.

“We just didn’t want to stretch him out this far in the spring. He was still a little bit weak, but he’s starting to furnish now, but I don’t know whether he’s that effective on wet and heavy ground, but until you try it, you don’t know.”

Sent out a hot favourite at $1.75, Statuario delivered in style under jockey John Allen, winning by over two lengths from Politely Dun, with Litzdeel third.

That run came off the back of a third placing in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m), and he showed no signs of struggle at the longer trip.

“I thought he peaked on his run the other day,” Browne said.

“He had to do a lot of work from the back and if you set sail from a long way out, you will eventually get tired, but today he ended up in the right spot, he went to sleep, and he finished off well.

“He probably hit the front too early and started floating around. Hopefully he will continue to improve from there, but importantly he saw out the trip.

“Sometimes those horses that show a good turn of foot over a mile, they don’t always show it when they get out over further.

“Today he did what he needed to do.”