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By Ray Hickson

If the spring was about chasing the money, the autumn for Think It Over could be described as the time to chase a bit of glory.

Trainer Kerry Parker (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Trainer Kerry Parker fronts up at Randwick on Saturday with his stable star as the early favourite in the Group 2 $250,000 The Agency Apollo Stakes (1400m) to announce himself as one of the big guns for the autumn carnival.

He’s confident the horse can at least hold the level he reached last year and if he can lift again who knows what he might achieve come The Star Championships.

“As much as he’s proven to be competitive with these good horses now it’s a matter of whether we can actually beat them,’’ Parker said.

“When the other guys went to Melbourne it left us some pickings here where this time everyone is targeting the Queen Elizabeth.

“I think this preparation there’s no hiding. He doesn’t know who Verry Elleegant is so he’ll turn up and just do his job.”

In a memorable spring, Parker elected to resist the temptation of Melbourne and raced Think It Over in Sydney and his October hat-trick of the Hill Stakes, Craven Plate and Rosehill Gold Cup netted his owner a $1 million bonus.

He’s now won over $4.2 million and is entrenched in the weight-for-age ranks.

“He did carry the 61kg (in the Rosehill Cup) but in saying that they did get easier to watch as he went through the prep,’’ he said.

“There were a couple of real close calls where he got his head down, the deeper he went into his preparation the easier he seemed to be winning.”

The six-year-old, $4.20 with TAB on Wednesday, has been prepared similarly for the Apollo as he was for the Winx Stakes first-up in the spring where he was beaten just over half a length in sixth.

It was evidence that Parker had developed the gelding into the best version of himself given he started last autumn in a Group 3 race and the previous spring in a Benchmark 88.

With two trials under his belt Parker said his job is basically done and now it’s over to Nash Rawiller to navigate a passage from barrier 10.

“I thought they were both lovely trials. I’ve brought him up similar to last preparation and I think he’s pretty much the same going into this,’’ he said.

“No doubt it will be left to Nash at the end of the day, he’s on top and he knows him quite well. He can be a bit versatile, I haven’t got into doing a proper speed map yet.”

Think It Over will be aimed at the Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) on April 9 and if he gets there Parker hopes it’s without the setback he had in 2021.

After winning the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes, Think It Over missed a start in the Doncaster due to playing up in the float and had to tackle the weight-for-age grand final off a three week break.

Think It Over runs fourth in a trial at Rosehill on January 31

He ran a gallant fourth, 1.5 lengths behind Addeybb, and you could argue he’s a better horse now.

Parker said the early plan is to head to the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) in two weeks before choosing between the Australian Cup and the Ranvet Stakes.

“First and foremost you just want to know they're back, that’s what you look for from a first-up run,’’ he said.

“He does have good fresh form and usually races well fresh, I’d be looking for the same thing again.”

Meanwhile, Parker has named Don Luigi as his likely lone shot at the $1.55m Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championships Series which commences later this month.

The gelding was a barrier trial winner on his home track on Wednesday, downing The Gong winner Count De Rupee, and will have one start before heading to Gosford for the 1200m qualifying race on March 12.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's meeting at Royal Randwick