NEXT UP

The Pierro four-year-old has found competition tougher when pushed up to Class 3 company at his last two starts, albeit a third place to Strong N Powerful  in a turf mile race at his last start on March 15 still raised some hope.

One more roll of the dice in the $70,000 Class 3 race over the Polytrack mile should give a better idea if a start in the Group 1 Singapore Derby (1800m) on April 18 remains conceivable for the four-time winner.

Louis-Philippe Beuzelin, who was aboard at Inherit 's last-start third, will again take the reins this Friday. Although there is no actual standout in the 12-horse field, the likes of Elite Conquest , Minister , Glasgow  and Yaya Papaya  make for serious opposition.

The Singapore Derby is the third Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge, of which the first two Legs (Silver Bowl and Stewards' Cup) have already been run with Inherit skipping both.

"It was a good run at his last start, but he's taking on a pretty handy field tomorrow," said Walker.

"He's been running mainly on grass, but he handles the Polytrack well as he won on it first-up (September 8, 2019).

"If he runs well enough, he might then run in the Derby. He was placed (third) over 1 3⁄16 m in Sydney (Canterbury), so he can take the distance.

"I didn't run him in the first two Legs as they were too short for him."

In Australia, Inherit was a one-time winner over 6 f at Newcastle in July 2018 when prepared by Sydney champion trainer Chris Waller. As a better gauge of that third place in the 1 3⁄16 m race at Canterbury in February 2019, which was his first test over more ground, the winner was Leslie Khoo's former handy Kranji stayer Zip A Dee Doo Dah.

Walker started off with a few more Derby hopefuls, but after Altair ran ordinarily in the first Leg, and Federation returned with a cracked heel after his last start, the three-time Singapore champion trainer is left with only two bullets, Inherit and another longshot, Axel.

The son of Darci Brahma represented the stable in the Group 2 Stewards' Cup (1600m) last Friday, never making his presence felt with a 10th finish to Siam Blue Vanda. It's not the kind of qualifier a trainer would have hoped for, but Walker hasn't pulled the Derby pin on the Te Akau Racing Stable-owned galloper either.

"The Derby is still a remote chance for Axel, just in case it rains on that day. He loves a wet track," said the Kiwi handler.

"He was outpaced the other day (Stewards' Cup). Like I said, it'll be a throw at the stumps in the Derby.

"He wouldn't have the class to compete at that level, but the owners want to have a crack. He may get a wet track, you never know."