Spring mile test to suit The Three Hundred

He might not be in the same esteemed company as Gai Waterhouse’s previous winners of the Spring Stakes, but if The Three Hundred can add his name to the honour roll, it could prove an important stepping stone.

Waterhouse has won the race twice with dual Group 1 winner and 2005 Cox Plate runner-up Lotteria (2004) and successful stallion Proisir (2012), who finished second to It’s A Dundeel in that season’s Spring Champion Stakes and Randwick Guineas.

The Three Hundred will be shooting for his first black-type win on Saturday and if he can notch it, it could put him in the running for a carnival appearance next year.

“He has always shown good ability, it has taken him a little while to put it all together,” jockey Tim Clark said.

“Hopefully he can continue to go on with it now and it would be good to get a stakes win for him and then he might be able to target something in the autumn or the winter even.”

After resuming with a placing at Hawkesbury in September, The Three Hundred broke his maiden over 1400m at Rosehill last month and made it back-to-back successes over the same journey at Warwick Farm.

Clark, who has been in the saddle for both victories, feels the penny may have dropped.

“He broke through at Rosehill in a maiden and just really went on with it,” Clark said.

“Between runs he worked really well and it seemed he got a lot of confidence out of the win. He has gone on and won again and continued to go forward.

“It’s good heading into a race with a horse on the back of a couple of strong wins. He’s got his tail up and I think stepping up to 1600 is going to suit him as well.

“He relaxes really well within his races as well so he’s got all the makings of being able to run out a strong mile.”

The Three Hundred is on the third line of betting for the Group 3 Spring Stakes (1600m) at $6 with Althoff and Alabama State equal $4 favourites.