The weight-for-age star of the Melbourne spring carnival has to either win the $100,000 Whakanui Stud International Stakes at Te Rapa or be very unlucky to continue on to the Australian Cup at Flemington.
Co-trainer Peter Hurdle is confident of a big showing.
"He's goingto have the blinkers back on for Saturday," Hurdle said at yesterday's Select Colts yearling sale session at Karaka.
"He wore blinkers for the last 11 starts of his previous campaign and he started to over-race in his last two races in the Mackinnon Stakes and Melbourne Cup.
"So we thought it was a good idea to take them off to get him to settle for the first couple of races this time in. It's had the desired effect."
Aerosmith returned to racing with a terrific first-up sprint third to Centre Crest and Panagold and was then outpaced under topweight of 59.5kg in the 1600m Thorndon Mile at Trentham last Saturday week.
"I was fractionally disappointed with his Thorndon run initially, but after watching the video a few times I'm happy enough with it.
"Under 59.5kg he was never a realistic winning chance. He finished seven lengths from the winner and with the winning margin being two lengths he was only five lengths from second.
"He's done terrifically well since Trentham."
Jim Collett rides Aerosmith on Saturday and the 2000m and weight-for-age conditions should see a dramatic improvement in his form.
"I'd like to see him win so we know we're exactly on target for the Australian Cup.
"In Melbourne only Might And Power and Dane Ripper raced better than him at weight-for-age, so if he can race up to that form he'll be hard to beat."
Opposing Aerosmith on Saturday will be Del Coronado, who plucked the weight-for-age plums at the Ellerslie and Trentham carnivals.
On neither occasion, though, did Del Coronado strike one as good as Aerosmith at his best.
The entries for the Whakanui Stud International are: Aerosmith, All In Fun, Batavian, Bluebird The Word, Del Coranado, Denholm, Doyle, Egoli Lass, Fatal, Fayreform, Greenstone Charm, Jimineate, Legal Regal, Lord Majestic, Marconee, Rowena's Delight, The Bandette, The Kynuna Kid, The Message, Twice Over, Tynesider.
