The most popular member of Godolphin’s Australian stable will again test a proven theory when he runs in Saturday’s G1 Kennedy Mile at Flemington.

Hartnell has contested more top-class races than most horses in training, winning four G1s at distances from 1400m to 2400m.

His trainer James Cummings has decided the eight-year-old is at his best up to 1600m, as he demonstrated last month when winning the G1 Epsom Handicap at Randwick.

“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Hartnell and he’s never disappointed me over seven furlongs. Keeping him to those trips has been extremely rewarding,” Cummings said.

“He enjoys the shorter work as well as the shorter races. That’s what we’ve stuck to this campaign and he’s kept on running well.”

In his only run since the Epsom, Hartnell finished second in the G1 Toorak Handicap behind Land Of Plenty to whom he conceded six kilos.

“He has a 2.5kg weight turnaround with Land Of Plenty from the Toorak,” Cummings said.

“That should make things pretty interesting back at Flemington where Hartnell’s probably a length better horse.”

“He’s eight-years-old but he’s got the skin of a two-year-old colt, he’s dancing around the stables.”