Sir Delius on track for Flemington feature

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable may not boast the same volume of contenders as larger stables for the upcoming Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.

However, Waterhouse expressed confidence, stating, "you only need one to fire" to make a significant impact.

The stable is likely to pin its hopes on Sir Delius for the Group 1 2000m race this Saturday, although stablemate Vauban remains a nomination.

This is in stark contrast to Chris Waller's yard, which has put forward eight of the 21 nominations, and Ciaron Maher with six entries.

Sir Delius, under jockey Craig Williams, worked over 1000m on the Flemington main track on Tuesday morning, notably quickening in the final 400m.

Waterhouse revealed her decision to alter the horse's training, opting for shorter, sharper sessions.

"He seemed to really enjoy it," Waterhouse remarked.

"His muscle tone has improved so much from his first-up run."

His previous start resulted in a fourth-place finish behind Sheza Alibi in the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 12, marking Sir Delius's return after a spell since April.

While Sir Delius was momentarily outpaced at the turn in his first-up run, he maintained his effort through the latter stages.

Waterhouse anticipates the step up in distance will be beneficial for Sir Delius on Saturday, though she noted there's still room for improvement before his ultimate goal, the Cox Plate (2000m) at Flemington on October 24.

"That's his D-day, but he's a very fit horse and in the right mindset going into Saturday," Waterhouse stated.

"He's had more gallops, more time down here.

"I've got him walking more, all the little things that will help him on D-day and hopefully it's a stepping stone, the Turnbull.

"I think I've got him spot on. Adrian has done a fantastic job to send him down to me down here and I love having these sorts of horses down here at Flemington."

Vauban also completed a gallop at Flemington on Tuesday, covering 1400 metres.

Waterhouse is undecided about Vauban's immediate plans, weighing up a start on Saturday against a later campaign run during the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

"He did the old, more mature type of work," Waterhouse commented.

"He did pacework over seven furlongs (1400m). He really enjoyed it. Stretched his legs, had a look around.

"Is he ready, I'm not sure. I'll have to have a think about it and decide whether to run on Saturday in the Turnbull or we wait for later in the Carnival."

Sir Delius appears to be in good order for the Turnbull Stakes. Explore the best betting markets for the race.