A bullish Paul Messara has cast doubt on a couple of Spring Champion Stakes fancies, questioning where they would have finished in the George Main Stakes had they adopted the weight-for-age path.
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Messara will look to end a month of rotten luck for his drastically downsized stable via Panzer Division in the final group 1 of the Sydney spring carnival on Saturday.
The colt, which returned shady X-rays before not fetching a bid in the sales ring, can add millions to his value as a stallion prospect in the three-year-olds' feature over 2000-metres.
Panzer Division took on the older horses – including Cox Plate contender Sacred Falls – over the Randwick mile last time out at just his fourth start in a race and finished fifth.
He remains steady as $4.60 third pick in the Spring Champion behind Godolphin's Gloaming Stakes hero Sweynesse ($2) and John Thompson's Flight Stakes winner First Seal ($2.60).
"I'd like to put a few of them in that weight-for-age race [George Main] and see where they finish," Messara said. "Probably the best miler in the country [Sacred Falls] won the race and I'm very happy with [Panzer Division] going into the race.
"It took him a couple of days to get over it, but it was his first prep. He's come from a Kembla maiden having never been in a race or never been to the trials before. Everything from scratch to now has been in his first preparation so he's some horse.
"And I think the form out of that race is pretty strong after the weekend in Melbourne when Kris' mare [Lucia Valentina] did as well as she did. There's a few horses backing up [in the Spring Champion Stakes] so there will be a few question marks there."
Brenton Avdulla shed five kilograms in nine days to meet Panzer Division's feather weight in the George Main, but will relinquish the ride to Tye Angland at Randwick.
Angland was due to partner Panzer Division's stablemate Scissor Kick in the group 1 Caulfield Guineas in Melbourne on the same day, but will stay at home after Scissor Kick was scraped in a torrid Stan Fox run.
That was a start after Hallowed Crown flew late to deny him victory in the $1 million Golden Rose.
"I'm due some luck," Angland said. "He wasn't beaten far against the older horses and back to his right age I think the distance will suit. Paul said he's right on song so I've got to be confident.
"He hasn't had the perfect preparation like a few of them stepping up to 2000, but fitness-wise he'll be fit enough after running over a mile at Randwick against those horses last time. He's been up for a while and had a few runs, but it's going to be quite an even race."
On his rider, Messara said: "His confidence is pretty good. He suits the horse and he's a natural left-handed whip rider, which will suit. Tye has ridden him before and knows the horse – and there was nothing wrong with the last ride of Brenton's – but I'm happy to have Tye on."
