Unlike past years, trainer Paul Perry is without runners in the two-year-old features and is relying on a couple from the older brigade to fly the flag for the stable this autumn.Sydney Cup-bound Newport and Galaxy hope Biscayne Bay will run in the Randwick Stakes (2000m) and Challenge Stakes (1000m) respectively on Saturday.Perry won the Golden Slipper in 2005 with Stratum and although he has a nice group of youngsters this year they are not yet ready for the major races.Newport and Biscayne Ba
Unlike past years, trainer Paul Perry is without runners in the two-year-old features and is relying on a couple from the older brigade to fly the flag for the stable this autumn.
Sydney Cup-bound Newport and Galaxy hope Biscayne Bay will run in the Randwick Stakes (2000m) and Challenge Stakes (1000m) respectively on Saturday.
Perry won the Golden Slipper in 2005 with Stratum and although he has a nice group of youngsters this year they are not yet ready for the major races.
Newport and Biscayne Bay are both six-year-olds who Perry says always show their best - almost always.
Newport was sent back to the barrier trials after taking a sideways step out of the barriers in the Chipping Norton Stakes while Biscayne Bay has occupied much of stewards' time over the years.
"I don't know what happened to Newport, he has never done anything like that before," Perry said.
"He's an old gentleman, he never puts a foot wrong.
"It wasn't the plan to run him this week but now we have to back him up to get him ready for the two miles."
The winner of the Group One Metropolitan Handicap in October, Newport did not get a high enough penalty for that victory to make the field for the Caulfield Cup but ran a solid 10th in the Melbourne Cup at his first try over 3200 metres.
The Sydney Cup (3200m) is on April 25, two weeks after the Galaxy (1100m) which Perry won with Proprietor in 2006.
Although Biscayne Bay has a long history of wayward behaviour, he also has a history of strong performances including a win over Magnus in the Group Two International Sprint (1100m) at Caulfield in October of 2006.
He finished third to Spark Of Life in the 2007 Challenge Stakes but was out of the placings in the Galaxy won by Magnus.
Biscayne Bay went back to Melbourne last spring and ran third to Sunburnt Land in the International Sprint, fifth in the Salinger won by Hot Danish and fourth in the Century Stakes, behaving impeccably each time.
"He has been going well for a while now without any problems," Perry said.
"Hopefully those days are all behind him.
"He has had two barrier trials and they have been good so hopefully he can show his best.
In-form jockey Jim Cassidy will ride Biscayne Bay while Nash Rawiller will be aboard Newport who will carry topweight of 58.5kg in his Group Three assignment with the other 11 runners on the 53kg limit.