Melbourne Cup hopeful Excess Knowledge is expected to perform better stepping up to 1700m in the Listed $120,000 Sheen Group Heatherlie Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

Excess Knowledge, above, black with gold cap, will appreciate the step up to 1700m in the Heatherlie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.

Trainer Gai Waterhouse is also tipping that with the experience of a run at Caulfield a fortnight ago, Excess Knowledge can improve on his first up fifth to Mourinho in the Group 2 $200,000 Back To Caulfield P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m).

Caulfield is a renowned grave yard for Sydney trained horses seeing it for the first time and they usually need one of two runs there before getting accustomed to the tricky track.

“It was the first time the son of Monsun had raced at Caulfield and years of watching Sydney horses at the Heath has taught us that those from the north improve after seeing the track in subsequent runs,” Waterhouse wrote on her blog on her website.

The step up to 1700m will also be to the English import’s advantage on Saturday as he builds up his stamina heading towards the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 3.

“I have said for some time that Excess Knowledge is my Cups horse,” Waterhouse wrote.

“I hope to have multiple horses in the Cups, but this entire is leading the charge as we speak. The 1400m was short of his best trip first up, and behind some seasoned milers he battled to the line nicely.”

Waterhouse is tipping Excess Knowledge to find his way back to the winner’s circle in the Heatherlie Stakes and then continue to improve throughout the Spring Carnival.

“He will be exceptionally hard to beat over the 1700m,”Waterhouse wrote.

“I am quite bullish about this entire’s Spring prospects and his campaign really starts to gather momentum from this week on.”

Excess Knowledge found winning form during the Sydney Autumn Carnival and after scoring first up in the $70,000 A.J. ’Bert’ Lillye Memorial Handicap (1300m) at Kembla Grange went on to win the Group 3 $150,000 Hyland Race Colours Doncaster Prelude (1500m) at Rosehill on March 28.

Excess Knowledge shares the top line of betting at $4.60 with the Robert Smerdon trained Iggimacool with English import Bold Sniper, and last start Caulfield winners Onpicalo and Dig A Pony all next in the market order at $10.