Sydney trainer Chris Waller is tipping a return to a firm track will see high-class miler Triple Honour reacquainted with the winner's enclosure in Saturday's G1 George Main Stakes at Randwick.
Waller said Triple Honour, a winner over the same course and distance earlier this year in the Doncaster Handicap, would be better able to unleash his sizzling turn of foot in better going.
The four-year-old was beaten a length last start on a heavy track by Gallant Tess, who will also run in the George Main Stakes, in the Chelmsford when he made the leap from 1200m to the mile.
Only the best gallopers have traditionally handled that step up in distance. Sunline tasted her first career defeat when making the same progression during the autumn of her three-year-old season.
While Triple Honour has won two out of three in heavy going, Waller said improved conditions would help him run a stronger 1600m.
"It's a tough mile at Randwick. I know he's won the Doncaster over it but it's a lot tougher at weight-for-age," Waller told Sportal.
"I just think on a good track he'll run out a really strong mile."
"He's got a turn of foot which a lot of people don't understand. And on a better track he'll be able to show that."
"That said he'll be very, very hard to beat."
Gallant Tess would again prove the hardest to beat in the nine-horse field, Waller said.
Triple Honour, who Waller said was suspect at 2000m, would come to Melbourne for the Yalumba Stakes and possibly the Cox Plate if he was an impressive winner this Saturday. If not, then a start in next weekend's Epsom Handicap beckoned.
Waller will saddle three other runners at Randwick, including clever filly Love And Kisses in the G2 Stan Fox Stakes (1400m).
Waller said if the filly could repeat her most recent effort when she ran Samantha Miss, whom he said was the best three-year-old in the country, to one and a half lengths she would prove hard to beat.
But the filly will not head to Melbourne after the Sydney carnival and would have her grand final in the G1 Flight Stakes (1600m) next weekend at Randwick, he said.