Gosford Gold Cup result to dictate Maison Louis' winter plans

After claiming the Queensland Derby, Maison Louis produced his top effort of the spring on his second outing post-spell, and handler Tom Charlton seeks an equivalent performance from the four-year-old at Gosford.

Heading into Saturday's Listed Gosford Gold Cup (2100m), the gelding builds on an impressive fresh run, finishing a fast-closing sixth to Hellsing at Randwick despite the 1500m distance not suiting.

This was precisely the type of run Charlton had anticipated from the gelding first-up, contrasting his inconsistent spring campaign.

"He couldn't have done any more. He looks to have come back well," Charlton said of the first-up run.

"He ran third in the Hill Stakes second-up last prep, which is a strong weight-for-age race, so if he can replicate that he will run well.

"He let himself down a bit pre-race last preparation, so we're just trying to build a bit of confidence for him and get him back in his groove."

After five initial defections, Maison Louis secured gate 11, and while Charlton questions if the snug Gosford layout is optimal, he believes it won't hinder significantly.

"He is short-coupled and hasn't got a great, big action," he said.

"He's got a turn of foot for a horse over that trip, so I think he will be fine."

Charlton remains flexible on Maison Louis' schedule, stating the horse's future direction will depend on his effort there, with targets potentially in Sydney or Brisbane like The Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm come June 13.

On Friday, Maison Louis was quoted at $8 in Gosford Cup markets, with Matt Smith’s Portland the $5.50 early elect.

Visit the online bookmakers to find the best betting markets for the Gosford Gold Cup.