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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Sam Kavanagh would prefer not to leave it to chance to have Kayobi on track for his spring goal, November’s Five Diamonds, so is hoping the talented five-year-old can strike second-up at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer Sam Kavanagh (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Kayobi was balloted from the $1.5m Alan Brown Stakes so turns up in the Cerrone Handicap (1300m) looking to boost his 81 rating and put him on the right path to that major spring goal.

Kavanagh’s plan is to head into the $1 million Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) at Randwick in two weeks and then the $2 million Five Diamonds (1800m) run at Rosehill on November 11.

“He’s definitely going to get a mile so we think the Five Diamonds Prelude is the logical step for him,’’ Kavanagh said.

“He probably needs to win to guarantee his place in the Prelude, just to make a bird of it. The Five Diamonds isn’t going to be a weak race.”

The gelding is very much a horse on the way up, having raced just 10 times for four wins and four placings, but that also means he’s lacking in rating points for some of the spring features.

There’s no doubt from Kavanagh that he’ll continue to get better as he steps out over more ground, given he’s out of a mare who won at 1600m and is a half-brother to last week’s Dulcify Stakes winner Ganbare.

His only attempt at a mile came in The Coast back in May and it wasn’t off an ideal lead up so Kavanagh says there’s plenty in his favour should he get to the Five Diamonds.

“I got him out to the mile last prep but he was four weeks between runs, with a setback, and didn’t really have the proper preparation,’’ Kavanagh said.

“And because we protected his rating so much to get him through the Provincial-Midway Championships he didn’t have the racing to stand up to the mile.

“He should have won his next start when touched off by Cotehele and sat three deep the trip over 1500m at Rosehill.

“But for a horse like him there’s so many options, if he comes out of the Prelude and we don’t feel he stayed there’s the Goulburn Cup which qualifies him for the Big Dance.”

A closing third behind Kibou over 1200m at Randwick three weeks ago got Kayobi’s preparation off to a pleasing start and Kavanagh said he doesn’t mind how Saturday’s race appears likely to unfold.

He’s engaged 3kg apprentice Jett Stanley to bring his weight down to 58.5kg and said Kayobi, $3.90 with TAB on Thursday, will only get better as his campaign continues.

“I’m not sure he’s an apprentice’s horse but from four he just lands three back the fence off a hot speed,’’ he said.

“The speed seems to be drawn wide. The 1300m second-up is no issue, he’s run well at Rosehill in the past.

“I don’t want to be trying to push him up on speed when I want to go to 1500m next start.

“I’ve left the blinkers up my sleeve, I think he’s significantly better with blinkers on but I want to leave them there for the run after.

“He’s a strong traveller so he probably gets left with a really good run off a hot speed and he’ll be there late.”

Kayobi runs third at Randwick on September 16

Meanwhile, Kavanagh is hoping to sneak Aramayo into next month’s $3m Big Dance when he tackles the Wild Card at Randwick on October 21.

The eight-year-old is eligible to contest the Wild Card having run in both the Muswellbrook and Tamworth Cups earlier this year and signalled he’s come back well with a close sixth behind subsequent Epsom Handicap winner Rediener in the Bill Ritchie three weeks ago.

“He doesn’t come up in the autumn but he will be spot on for the Wild Card,’’ Kavanagh said.

“His spring form is significantly better than his autumn form.

“I thought his run in the Bill Ritchie was good, he beat home Barbie’s Fox and Olentia and only got beaten two lengths to Rediener.”

Aramayo will trial at Gosford next Wednesday.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Rosehill meeting