Scales Of Justice is more likely to target the 2017 Toorak Handicap – Emirates Stakes double in Victoria this spring on way to the Perth summer features over a clash with Winx in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate.

Scales Of Justice is unlikely to take on Winx (pictured) in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2017 this October in Melbourne. Photo: Steve Hart.

Lindsey Smith’s four-year-old son of Not A Single Doubt enjoyed his second win on the trot over the weekend with a narrow effort over Zarantz in the $150,000 Group 3 Strickland Stakes (2000m) at Belmont Park.

Saluting for the punters as the odds-on favourite, the Strickland Stakes win may have been by only a short half-head but it was enough to impress his Casuarina-based trainer Smith who is confident the galloper can be a competitive force during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

Spring plans have always been to head east with the Group 1 winner, but originally Smith was keen to set up a showdown with the world’s premier mare Winx in the $3 million Group 1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m).

A new-look Melbourne bid for the winner of over $1.35 million in prize money now has Scales Of Justice more likely to contest the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) on Caulfield Guineas Day and the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on the final day of November’s Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The horse will then return home for a Perth Summer Racing Carnival campaign defending his title in the $1 million Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) on November 25 before looking to go one better than his second to Stratum Star in the $1 million Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot Racecourse on December 9.

“He’ll have about five weeks off now and we’ll look at taking him to Melbourne,” Wells told The West Australian.

“The Toorak would be good for him and maybe the Emirates, especially if Winx doesn’t go that way. Ideally we would go over for two or three races and then come back for the Kingston Town.

“We’ll see what weight he gets in the Railway. Good Project came back last year after winning the Railway and got 55kg.”

Scales Of Justice won last year’s Railway Stakes by over two and a half-lengths defeating the previous year’s winner Good Project with 53kg.

If successful this summer he will be the first back-to-back Railway Stakes winner since Tudor Mak (1966-67).

Pre-nomination Railway Stakes betting has Scales Of Justice at around $10 for the win with futures markets led by the Daniel Morton-trained local Discorsi gelding Man Booker.

Scales Of Justice though is early favourite in the all-in Kingston Town Classic odds to improve on his luckless second last year.

Smith has also ruled out extending the galloper out to a mile and a half for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).

“I thought he might be a Caulfield Cup horse, but that looks a bit beyond him,” he said.

To back Scales Of Justice over the spring at the best Group 1 racing odds visit Ladbrokes.com.au today.