Trainer Lindsey Smith says Tuvalu may still be a preparation away from revealing his full potential ahead of his second-up run at Caulfield.
A winner of four of his six starts, Tuvalu runs in the Premier Signs Handicap (1600m) on Saturday which Smith says will toughen the gelding again for future racing.
Smith is confident that Tuvalu is a ‘black type’ winner in waiting and believes the gelding could be a force during the Perth Summer Carnival later in the year.
The trainer expects this preparation to toughen Tuvalu for races in the spring like the Cantala Stakes at Flemington, the Lee-Steere Classic, Railway Handicap and Kingston Town Stakes, all at Ascot.
“He’s not fully mature yet and he may need another little rest as in the back of my mind, looking at him, going home at Christmas might be the right time for him,” Smith said.
“I reckon that might be the timing, but if I’m wrong, he can go off early, but in my gut that’s the way.
“The owners are patient people and have had good horses before. We did this with Scales Of Justice and he came good around the same age.
“The way this horse pulls up, he loses 10 or 12 kilos after each race, so he needs some race toughness, but if you look after them, they look after you.”
The only two times Tuvalu has been beaten to date was by I’m Thunderstruck who later last spring went on to claim the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield and the $7.5 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill.
Tuvalu resumed this campaign winning the Port Fairy Cup (1400m) at Warrnambool last month, defeating Zoltan who came out to score at The Valley last Saturday.
“He doesn’t appear to have gone backwards,” Smith said.
“The horse he beat has gone on to win in town since so the form looks like it will stack up and his fitness has improved a little bit.
“I think he’s got black type in him, so I would imagine he would be hard to beat on Saturday.”