Harbour Views (Image: Racing Photos)
Matthew Williams has a plan for Harbour Views in next week's Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m).
Harbour Views might have missed out on securing a guaranteed Cox Plate spot last start in the G2 Feehan Stakes (1600m), but Williams is hoping the import will show his spring credentials in next weekend's Underwood.
The six-year-old finished third behind Humidor and Surprise Baby in the Feehan and the Warrnambool trainer thinks his stable star shouldn't be underestimated on his journey to still hopefully get into the $5 million race.
"He had his chance in the Feehan, maybe you could say the inside was inferior, but he was beaten by two good horses and didn't finish too far off them," Williams said.
"We had him as forward as we could for a mile first-up, so he was ready to go.
"We've given him a pretty easy time since then moving into the Underwood.
"I was pretty confident with how he could go in the Underwood, but like everyone else wanting to go to the race it wasn't great to see that's where Russian Camelot is heading.
"If we hold onto Russian Camelot's tail we'll be right up there hopefully."
Williams thinks the gelding will relish stepping up in trip to the 1800m and is hoping there will be more give in the ground for the OTI Racing-owned galloper who has battled soft-tissue niggles his whole career.
"His joints are the best they've ever been but we've always had to take a bit of extra care with him and we're hoping he'll be able to get his toe in the ground in the Underwood but we know that's not guaranteed," he said.
"I think racing at 1800m with the track hopefully not too firm he'll be up there, I'm confident he'll be in the first few again but it's going to be very hard against a horse like Russian Camelot."