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By Ray Hickson

It's been a deliberately conservative approach from John O’Shea and Tom Charlton with their Group 1 winner Maison Louis this spring and they hope it pays off at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Tom Charlton (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The Queensland Derby winner will be third-up when he contests the Group 3 $750,000 Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m) and Tom Charlton said on the back of his last start he couldn’t be better placed.

Maison Louis ran an eye-catching third behind Lindermann in the Hill Stakes (1900m) and the stable elected to sidestep another clash with that horse in last week's Craven Plate in favour of this event.

“I think coming back to handicap company, obviously Lindermann and Attrition have gone on to run good performances in good races, third-up at 2000m he’ll be getting toward his peak for the preparation,’’ Charlton said.

“He had a busy winter and we didn’t want to over tax him this time in and aim too high.

“There’s a lovely series of races here in Sydney and hopefully he can run well for a big prize.”

Whether Maison Louis, $4 with TAB on Thursday, presses on to a race like the $300,000 The Beauford (2300m) on the Hunter program at Newcastle remains to be seen.

Charlton said the four-year-old has found himself well off the pace in his two runs this time in but it’s not always been by design and would like to think he can make use of barrier two.

“He’s pretty versatile, he wasn’t far away in the run in a Derby,’’ he said.

“At this trip he can hold more of a position and work things out from there. Last time he got shuffled a bit further back rather than being out of the back.

“If he could pick up a nice race then next prep he might be one for the Sydney autumn and Queensland winter and do a bit more next spring and aim a bit higher.”

There’s a sense of timing about Linebacker’s bid for the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) with a setback early in his prep potentially playing in his favour.

The gelding was being set for the Epsom Handicap but ultimately had to miss that race and since he re-emerged he’s done nothing but impress.

He upstaged Ka Ying Rising winning a barrier trial then turned the Silver Eagle into a one act affair.

“Since his hiccup his trial and Silver Eagle win were fantastic and we see no reason why he can’t spring off that again,’’ Charlton said.

“He’s getting toward his favourite distance on his favourite track. He looks to draw suitably enough, he’ll need a few things go his way but he’s ready to run a big race.

“It’s a very good race as it should be. It won’t be easy but we feel we’ve got him in as good a shape as we can.”

Linebacker, who races for the Dreams 2 Live 4 charity in the Eagle, drew barrier five.

The weather will be monitored leading into the Randwick meeting and any more rain might see Bartolf sit out the TAB Handicap (1300m).

Charlton said he’s a horse that doesn’t really appreciate a lot of give in the ground, despite what his record might show, but if he is there it’s an endorsement that the stable feels the track will be suitable.

The gelding was an impressive last to first winner at Warwick Farm just over a week ago.

Maison Louis runs third in the Hill Stakes

“He’s a capable horse on his day, he enjoys fast ground when he can show his turn of foot,’’ he said.

Tom Charlton on King Pedro (race 5): “He just over raced a little bit first-up with a big weight but didn’t run a bad race at all. He gets to 2000m following a tickover trial. He needs to execute right, he should hit the line strongly and he’ll be one that will stay further in the future as well.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Golden Eagle meeting at Randwick