POLAND PRIMED FOR AUSTRALIAN GUINEAS

Michael Moroney has been patient with Poland but feels the colt is ready for a Group 1 challenge at Flemington this Saturday.

Moroney intends to accept with the last start Group 2 Autumn Stakes winner for the $1m Australian Guineas (1600m) and after watching the son of So You Think from the family of Phar Lap work this morning under Craig Williams is confident Poland is still improving.

"I'm pleased with the improvement he's made from the spring to the autumn, I think he's improved a lot which he needs to be up to these on Saturday but I think he has," Moroney said.

"He's always had the ability but was pretty immature mentally and physically in the spring, but I think he's really turned the corner.

"It's pretty similar to what happened with Alabama Express last season before he won the C F Orr against the older horses and I'm sure Poland is well up to this level.”

Williams, who has won the Australian Guineas twice previously, replaces the injured Jordan Childs who has Poland in all of his five starts.

“It’s disappointing that Jordy is injured but that’s the way it is. I thought I would give Craig the ride this morning as he's going to ride him in the Guineas and it was his most serious piece of work so I wanted Craig to have a feel of him," Moroney said.

"He's the sort of horse you need to get to know and Craig was happy to gallop him this morning so we’re just aiming to get all the little things right ahead of the weekend.”