Halfpenny Gate's performance in Sunday's Canberra Cup Prelude at Thoroughbred Park will determine where Keith Dryden sends the reliable four-year-old thereafter.
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Halfpenny Gate has had a run of top-two finishes spanning seven consecutive starts, but will now face up to his toughest challenge yet.
Dryden has downplayed the Trotamondo gelding's chances for Sunday's race, and has three options in mind for where he will send Halfpenny Gate following the $20,000 event.
"This race will tell us where we're at, and some decisions will be made after it," the Canberra trainer said. "If he goes well then we could probably go to the Canberra Cup.
"If he disappoints, then we've got the fall-back of the Country Championships, or we might even go to Sydney for a mid-week race.
"The Country Championships is our main plan, but if he was to win this race, then you would have to have a look at the Canberra Cup."
Sunday's prelude contains a strong field including last year's $200,000 Listed Canberra Cup (2000m) winner, Court Connection.
Multiple metropolitan race winning stayer, World Wide will also line up, but the Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes trained Cleansing Ale is Dryden's tip as the horse to beat.
Dryden said that Halfpenny Gate is "certainly a horse on the way up", and maybe "the one" which will deliver him a Canberra Cup victory in the future.
"If he's going to be a really good horse, I think it's going to be over the 2000-metres, but at this stage, we might be a tad early with him," Dryden said.
"It's not an easy race on Sunday. One of the reason's why he is going around is that we just want to see where he's at.
"I've told the owners that he is capable of winning in Sydney, but you don't rush them there and win. He's only a young horse and fairly lightly raced.
"He's a really nice horse, but I think he's about 12 months early for the [Canberra] Cup."
Kevin Sweeney will partner Halfpenny Gate for Sunday's race, and Dryden expects the pair to settle near the rear of the field and storm home late.
Dryden admitted the veteran jockey's experience will add little advantage as the horse is easy to ride, and can be ridden by almost anybody.
"If we got desperate we could throw me on him if we had to," Dryden joked. "He's not like a horse where he's a bit difficult and you've got to watch who you put on him.
"I love training him because he's one of the easiest horses to train. He's got a fantastic nature."
