Baster Out To Go One Better With Trieste

After a lean spring carnival, jockey Stephen Baster is looking for a change of fortune in the Magic Millions Clockwise Classic at Ballarat.

Baster finished second in the race last year on Geromayo, a horse owned in the same interests as his mount in Saturday's 1000-metre race, Old Trieste.

The Clockwise Classic is the only race in Victoria which is run the right-handed way and is restricted to two-year-olds purchased at Magic Millions sales around Australia.

Baster partnered Old Trieste when the colt was a debut second to the Danny O'Brien trained Prompt Return, an opponent on Saturday, in the Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington a fortnight ago.

A win, or a forward showing on Saturday is likely to see Old Trieste head to the Gold Coast in January to contest the Magic Millions Classic, a race Geromayo finished ninth in earlier this year.

Baster said Old Trieste has had no problem adapting to the right-handed way of going having trialled at Ballarat the reverse way before his debut run and again in a track gallop at Caulfield on Tuesday.

"I trialled him at Ballarat with Danny O'Brien's horse that won down the straight and I galloped him at Caulfield on Tuesday morning and he's going quite well," Baster said.

"He's had no problems getting on the right leg and going that way around."

Baster said while Old Trieste is a relaxed youngster, drawing in barrier one was an advantage with the rail to guide his mount Old Trieste over a tricky circuit.