If the exciting Strawberry Boy is to have any chance of getting into the Caulfield Cup field he has to win tomorrow’s Group 3 $125,000 Kingston Town Stakes at Rosehill Gardens.

Trainer Gai Waterhouse was her usual positive, upbeat self this morning when she said he’d win the race named after the great horse her famous father (Tommy Smith) trained, and be on his way to Melbourne.

Waterhouse said the Group 1 $500,000 Turnbull Stakes over 2000 metres, at Flemington on October 6, would be the horse’s next mission.

She also said she wasn’t scared of hot favourite, Nechita, in the $1 million Golden Rose, saying “whoever beats Kabayan will win the Golden Rose – and I don’t think they will.”

 Bet365 has Nechita a hot favourite at $2.40, but reports Kabayan has been $4.50 into $3.80 after drawing barrier one.

And what does Gai think of barrier one?

“He’ll lead – it’s the fastest way home – and he’ll win too!”