Trainer Gary Portelli has been taken by the physical improvement Sejardan has made from the spring to the autumn, now he wants to see the colt convert that into success at the highest level.
A dual Group winner as a juvenile, Sejardan mixed his form last preparation, finishing out of the placings in three feature races in Sydney before bouncing back to his best with a Group 3 triumph in Melbourne.
He returns in the Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday to start a campaign that could define his post-racing future.
“He is a monster of a horse now. Physically, he has come on to the next level, but he needs to,” Portelli said.
“We want to get him to Group One level and get him a stud somewhere when he turns four.”
A backmarker, Sejardan has only been extended beyond 1200m once when he finished midfield in the Golden Rose.
Portelli still isn’t sure whether he is a sprinter who enjoys a solid tempo, or potentially a miler running well over shorter trips.
He is happy to keep an open mind on that conundrum for now and “take it as we see it”.
“All his form says 1200 (metres), but he races like a horse who will get further, so hopefully with maturity he might get further, maybe up to a mile,” Portelli said.
A traditional autumn starting point for the three-year-old colts and geldings, the Eskimo Prince Stakes has also attracted lightly-raced filly Capitol Queen.
Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Capitol Queen won her only start at Canterbury on a heavy track, but history is against her with only three fillies having won the race in the past 20 years.