All Too Hard has been confirmed for the Run To The Rose at Rosehill on Saturday after being nominated for three races in two states, AAP reports. He will face a rematch with unbeaten Pierro.
All Too Hard, who finished second to Pierro at their only clash in the Sires' Produce Stakes at Randwick in April, heads betting on the Golden Rose at $2.80.
Pierro has been removed from the market on the expectation he will miss the $A1 million race.
Co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said All Too Hard wore winkers in work yesterday.
Hawkes said All Too Hard, a half-brother by Casino Prince to Black Caviar, will wear winkers or blinkers on Saturday.
All Too Hard overcame a slow start to finish third to Snitzerland and Driefontein in the San Domenico Stakes when starting afresh on August 18.
• More Joyous is on target to resume racing after another impressive trial yesterday.
More Joyous powered home from sixth to win a 1200m trial at Randwick by two lengths from stablemate Tohunga.
"I think she is going as good as she ever has," Nash Rawiller, her rider, said.
More Joyous is due to resume in the Sheraco Stakes (1200m) on September 15. She is favourite for the Cox Plate.
The Joe Pride-trained pair Rain Affair and Tiger Tees won 740m heats.
Rain Affair recorded a smart 43.3.
Tiger Tees ran 45.4.
"Both horses seem to have come back really well and both are going to resume in the same race [Concorde Stakes] on the eighth of September," Pride said.
Rain Affair has the Manikato Stakes as his main mission.
• Miss Artistic will travel from the Gold Coast to Melbourne this week to join her highly rated stablemate Zurella.
Miss Artistic, winner of the New Zealand Oaks, pleased trainer Shaune Ritchie with her effort to finish third in a 1020m Doomben barrier trial last Tuesday. She has not raced since June 2 when she was unplaced in the Queensland Oaks.
"I left her in the care of Toby Edmonds at the Gold Coast and he had her in superb order for the trial," Ritchie said.
Zurella is a Caulfield Cup prospect.
Zurella and Miss Artistic will open their Melbourne spring campaigns in the Let's Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday week.
• Craig Williams has been engaged to ride Dunaden in the Caulfield Cup.
Williams rode Southern Speed to win the race last year.
Williams is engaged to ride Southern Speed when she resumes in the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday week.
"If she should win the Underwood and win it well, then we may decide the Cox Plate is the way to go," Leon Macdonald, her trainer, said.
"I expect her to get around 54 to 54 kilos in the Caulfield Cup, and if she goes there, I don't think we'll have any trouble finding someone to ride her.
"But there is no firm decision on the Cup." She carried 52.5kg last year.
The Underwood Stakes (1800m) is two weeks after the Makybe Diva.
Southern Speed decisively won the the weight-for-age Penny Edition (1400m) at Morphettville on Saturday with stable jockey Clare Lindop aboard. It was the second start back from a spell for Southern Speed.
Southern Speed was beaten a nose by Manighar in the wfa Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington in March.
Macdonald has no concerns about her ability to handle the Moonee Valley track.
"She had an unlucky run but still finished fourth there in the Stocks Stakes last year behind King's Rose and Pinker Pinker so I have no worries about the track," he said.
• Jockey Corey Brown said a big race was within the scope of Strawberry Boy after he rode the 4yr-old to an easy first-up win at Warwick Farm on Saturday.
Strawberry Boy is trained by Gai Waterhouse for John Singleton.
Brown rode More Joyous to win the group one George Main Stakes in 2010 for the same connections.
• Commanding Jewel, the three-quarter sister to Atlantic Jewel, cruised home to win at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
She had won a maiden at Swan Hill at her other start.
"She's got class," Damien Oliver, her rider, said.
Trainer Leon Corstens said Commanding Jewel "had done a fabulous job".
• The Next Step, an acceptor at Forbury Park tomorrow night, is now trained by Geoff and Jude Knight at Roxburgh. The 7yr-old, a winner at Addington, won twice when trained by Kevin Chapman at Amberley.
