A brutally honest David Payne will put Criterion's Cox Plate ambitions on the line, claiming if his Australian Derby hero cannot win the Hill Stakes he will not have any chance in Australasia's weight-for-age championship.
"I would want him to be winning a race like this, otherwise he can't win the Cox Plate," Payne said of Criterion's D-Day at Randwick on Saturday. "You've got to be realistic and you're going to meet a stronger field in the Cox Plate, for sure."
The veteran Rosehill trainer is even more steadfast in his belief Criterion's last-start Chelmsford Stakes flop is best forgiven.
Criterion and favourite Entirely Platinum floundered in the wet over the Randwick mile as Chris Waller prepared the first six horses home a fortnight ago.
"It was just one of those days and I wouldn't worry too much about it – he'll be back to his normal self," Payne said.
"More than anything it might have been the early move Hughie [Bowman] made on him. He went early at the 800 [metres] and it was the wrong decision, but that happens.
"We'll try to ride him a bit more like the Derby and the Rosehill Guineas. And I think the ground will be fine too, which will suit him."
Singapore-based Corey Brown will take over from Bowman, who misses the George Main Stakes meeting through suspension.
Payne's Hill Stakes hand will also include the pint-sized Honorius, who will skirt around the top-level staying events this spring in search of another stakes win.
"He's a little horse and he might have reached his level, but that's where he is so you've got to take them on," Payne said. "He'll be better off on the firm tracks and he's much better off on top of the ground too."
The well-weighted Paederos, with Winona Costin up, looks placed to advantage in the Randwick opener for Payne, but of more pressing concern is the condition of cups contender Terrubi before he exits quarantine at Newmarket to arrive in Australia.
The French import has a recent success at 2800 metres over Brown Panther, who crushed his rivals in the Irish St Leger on the weekend.
"He's a nice horse and he looks fine," Payne said. "Once he matures he'll be a better horse. We'll assess him once he comes out here and decide if he goes around or not. I'm not going to force him.
"If he doesn't look like he's going to make it this year I'll pull the plug. The form is there and we've just got to get him back to being himself."
