Stephen Autridge is advising punters not to expect too much from Xtravagant in Saturday's Group III Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) at Flemington.
"He's not 100 percent fit for Saturday but we're expecting him to run a good race," Autridge, who trains Xtravagant in partnership with Jamie Richards, said.
"If he runs in the first five I'll be really happy. We've been a little bit easy on him and whatever he does Saturday it will bring him on a lot."
An elevated temperature caused the four-year-old to miss running at Moonee Valley last Saturday however Autridge said Xtravagant has not missed any work and is in good shape for his first-up run.
"He had a little virus but was over that very quickly and we always had this race as a back-up plan," Autridge said.
"First time down the straight will be interesting but he's enjoying being here this time, nice and chilled out and his work has been good,
"I don't think the straight will bother him but we'll just have to wait and see."
Defeat in the Group I Australian Guineas in March after leading forced a change in thinking for tactics with Xtravagant.
At his last start he came from off the speed to defeat older horses in the Group III Breeders Stakes over 1200m at Te Rapa by 2 3/4-lengths on April 30.
"We thought after the Guineas we had to do things a bit differently. We rode him with a trail at his next start and he found the line well," Autridge said.
"When you're the front runner all the time you can end up a sitting duck,
"We've brought him here to win a Group One race - that's the aim and we believe if he is right he is capable of doing it."
The Group I Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 24 will be the next race for Xtravagant followed by the Group I Toorak Handicap (1600m) on October 8 and he is still in the Group I WS Cox Plate (2040m) on October 22.
Damien Oliver will ride Xtravagant, rated a $6 chance by Unibet, in the Bobbie Lewis Quality.
