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Performance of Khoekhoe in the Exford Plate will determine the gelding's Caulfield Guineas campaign.
The performance of Khoekhoe in the $140,000 Listed Exford Plate (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday will determine if the gelding continues on a Caulfield Guineas campaign.
Trainer Matt Cumani is keen to run Khoekhoe in the $2 million Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 10 but will switch targets if Saturday's performance is not up to scratch.
Should Khoekhoe head to the Guineas, Cumani said Saturday's outing was likely to be his final run before the Group 1 feature for three-year-olds.
Winner of The Showdown at Caulfield in April, Khoekhoe then finished a 3.5 length second to Immortal Love over 1400m at Flemington in May.
Khoekhoe resumed at Caulfield on August 29, finishing seventh behind Immortal Lover, beaten the same margin, in the Group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
"I was tossing up whether to go to Flemington, wait until the Guineas Prelude (on September 26), run in both or not race at all," Cumani said.
"But we've decided to give him a go because Flemington is a good track for him and he's going particularly well at home.
"I'm hopeful we'll see a corresponding result on the track on Saturday, but he's up against his nemesis again in Immortal Love and a few others, but I'm hoping the extra distance and the track will suit."
Cumani said Khoekhoe was outsped at a vital stage over the 1200m journey when first-up and is under no illusions the extra ground will assist.
"The others, apart from Tagaloa, started from the same spot in the race and accelerated a little faster than he did, but I thought he kept running to the line quite well," Cumani said.
"He finished the same margin behind Immortal Love as he did at Flemington when they last met each other and I'm hoping a bit more distance this time may help him cut into that margin."
Once a lazy trackworker, Cumani said the colt was now showing more enthusiasm in his work.
And if Cumani decides to head to the Guineas, track work will become an important ingredient in keeping Khoekhoe in peak fitness.
"Two weeks to the Prelude and two weeks to the Guineas, to me that's too much racing," Cumani said.
"If we decide to press on to the Guineas we'll probably go straight there."
Khoekhoe opened an $18 chance with TAB Fixed Odds after final fields were announced on Wednesday.
Immortal Love is the $4 favourite ahead of Sydney visitor Bartley ($4.80) with the unbeaten Cherry Tortoni next pick at $5.50.