Top New Zealand trainer Stephen Marsh is confident Chocante will measure up in Saturday's Group I Metropolitan Handicap en route to the Melbourne Cup.
Marsh has had big spring plans in place since the son of Shocking took out the Group II Brisbane Cup (2200m) defeating Group I winning mare Single Gaze during the winter carnival.
"We knew he'd get into a race like the Metrop so well, a $750,000 race and we just felt why not target some of these good races in Sydney," Marsh said.
"Everything else heads to Melbourne, all the imports go to Melbourne.
"Even if we are going for the Melbourne Cup there’s nothing wrong with a $750,000 race on the way through.
"That was our logic but the racing in Melbourne is extremely strong at the moment. This does look like a softer Metropolitan field then we've seen in while.
"I really think he's a better horse than Brisbane."
The five-year-old ran out of his skin first-up in the Chelmsford Stakes, finishing third behind champion mare Winx at $81.
After that effort Chocante was sent out $4.60 second-favourite in the Group III Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) but faded to finish seventh, although Marsh is adamant the run was full of merit.
"Last start he'd only had one run over ground and he wasn't that hard seasoned and he just wasn't ready, the way the race panned out, for a true staying test," Marsh said.
"He still battled on alright but I think he's definitely improved again.
"I also think maybe second-up he could have been feeling the effects of a top run behind Winx. It was a pretty hard run on all of those horses."
The last start performance has only brought on the horse according to Marsh who is bullish about the gelding's chances on Saturday.
"Hopefully last start makes him that little bit harder for the mile and a half in the metropolitan, so that hard run could end up a blessing in disguise," he said.
"He's done really, really well.
"He hasn't missed a beat from the run.
"I definitely think he's improved, his works been good. Corey Brown galloped him on Tuesday and was more than happy with his work and I've just got over here today and I can't fault the way he looks.
"I'd be disappointed if he didn't run in the top three."
Champion jockey Corey Brown takes over on Saturday and Marsh is hopeful he can take Chocante to the same heights as his sire Shocking, which Brown steered to victory in the 2009 Melbourne Cup.
"He definitely gets his chance with Corey Brown and the inside draw. If he can't measure up here he can't measure up in Melbourne," Marsh said.
"We'd love to get him to the Melbourne Cup. It'd be ideal, but he's really got race well this Saturday to get there."
Chocante is $12 to claim Saturday's Metropolitan Handicap and $101 in Ladbrokes' 2017 Melbourne Cup market.
