Co-trainer Wayne Hawkes admits that the promising stayer La Amistad does not deserve a place in the 2014 Caulfield Cup if she is unable to win the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Royal Randwick tomorrow.

La Amistad needs to win the 2014 The Metropolitan to earn a start in the Caulfield Cup. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

La Amistad was touted as a leading contender for both the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at the start of the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival, but is well down the ballot for both races and needs to earn a significant weight penalty to be any chance of contesting either race.

Hawkes told RSN this morning that the stable would need to reassess their plans for La Amistad if she does not win The Metropolitan, but he believes that the best is still ahead of the Redoute’s Choice mare.

“She is a mare that is going something, but she needs to win tomorrow to gain a start in the Caulfield Cup and if she doesn’t win she doesn’t deserve to be in the Caulfield Cup,” Hawkes said.

“We will reassess and go from there, but if I could fast track forward 12 months that is where I want to be right now.

“One thing about this family is that you know that they get better when they get older.”

La Amistad started her 2014 Spring Racing Carnival with a fast-finishing third behind Mr Chard in the Listed Rowley Mile (1600m) at Hawkesbury on August 21 and she started the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 13 as a clear favourite, but was one of the first horses beaten and finished seventh.

The three-quarters sister to Makybe Diva was not particularly impressive to the eye when fourth in the Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on September 20, but Hawkes was happy with performance heading towards the 2014 Metropolitan Handicap.

“She hit the line good the other day,” Hawkes said.

“The start before she was ridden too close and didn’t finish off as good as she didn’t, but first-up in the Rowley Mile she all but won.

“She is going great and in some respects it is probably good that she got beaten a couple of times because there were too many wraps on her.

“She is Makybe’s sister, but she ain’t Makybe and that is for sure and certain, but she has to carry that tag forever.”

La Amistad is currently available at The Metropolitan odds of $7.50 and is on the third line of betting behind Spillway ($4.60) and Junoob ($5).