Godolphin trainer James Cummings is seriously entertaining a change in tact for the stable's accomplished weight-or-age performer Hartnell.
High up in Caulfield Cup markets, Cummings is weighing up the prospect of bypassing the $3 million handicap and running in the $1 million Group I Caulfield Stakes (2000m) a week earlier.
"He's been beaten by both Humidor and Bonneval at his past two starts and in the Caulfield Cup he'll meet both horses worse off at the weights," Cummings said.
"The final decision hasn't been made but we have booked Glyn Schofield for the Caulfield Stakes should we decide to go that way.
"As much as I'd love to run the horse at a mile and a half, right now it's unlikely we'll run in the Caulfield Cup.
"The reality is the formguide says he's a seven-year-old.
"I think he's very going well but horses like Humidor and Bonneval are flying and possibly still on the way up and in the Caulfield Cup they get a weight advantage from us."
Meanwhile, Cummings will decide after a weekend gallop if the Flight Stakes winner Alizee will line up on Saturday week in the $500,000 Group I Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.
"We're going to do a bit of work with her this weekend then make the decision if we're going to pop her on the float to Melbourne," he said.
"She's extremely well and we've got a much better feeling about running her in the Thousand Guineas now compared with last Saturday afternoon but I'm not going to commit before we have to because I'm very conscious of going to the well once too often with a horse that was specifically set for the Flight Stakes.
"I'm treating Alizee the same way my grandfather and I treated Norzita in 2012.
"We got her to peak in the Flight Stakes, we had a week to think about it and gave her a bit of work over the weekend then decided it wasn't the go.
"I'll be doing exactly the same thing with Alizee and there's not fait accompli that she'll will go if she's not exactly where I feel she needs to be."
Alizee is the $3.80 favourite for the Thousand Guineas while Hartnell is an easing $12 chance in the Caulfield Cup.
