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Camperdown galloper Shango's Image will give his connections a special thrill if he can run well in Saturday's $75,000 Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield.

Camperdown galloper Shango's Image will give his connections a special thrill if he can run well in Saturday's $75,000 Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield and earn a start in the Chester Manifold Stakes later this month.

Trainer Geoff Daffy said the seven-year-old would be on trial for the $150,000 Listed Manifold (1400m) at Flemington on January 29 which is named in honour of the foundation chairman of the TAB and one of Camperdown's most famous identities.

"If he does well on Saturday then we'll look at the Chester Manifold because it is a race that creates a bit of interest with him (the late Chester Manifold) coming from Camperdown," Daffy said.

Winning the Chester Manifold would be a highlight of Daffy's training career during which he has prepared a number of useful gallopers including Keda who finished third to Caulfield Cup winner Fraar in the 1993 Manifold before storming home for third to Primacy in the Newmarket Handicap.

Among his other stars have been prolific winner Skipton Town and stakes-winning mare Vena.

Shango's Image has been an honest performer for the stable with 10 wins, 11 seconds and five thirds in 37 starts, and according to Daffy deserves to win a feature race.

"I've had horses in the past win 22 or 23 races but things have changed in the last 10 or 15 years," Daffy said.

"Nowadays if a horse can win 10 races anywhere it is a pretty good effort."

Daffy said Shango's Image had never run a bad race in his life and the handicapper had caught up with him in recent times.

Three starts ago Shango's Image nearly won first-up when second to Tessuto at Werribee and at his last two runs was beaten 2-1/2 lengths when seventh in the Christmas Stakes (1200m) and just 3-1/2 lengths when ninth in the Group Three Standish Hcp (1200m) at Flemington.

"He ran nice races but I think he's been weighted up to the best of his ability," Daffy said.

"He is probably racing half a level outside his division and because he's been so consistent in his own division he's paying for it."

Daffy said Shango's Image was at his peak and got his chance to be the second Camperdown-trained galloper this year to win a stakes race after Beaujolais Prince, trained by Ron Gravett and ridden by Nicholas Ryan, landed the Listed Bagot Hcp at Flemington on New Year's Day.

"The horse is absolutely sensational at the moment, at his top, but whether it's going to be good enough for him to get away with one of these races is in the lap of the gods," Daffy said.

"One thing though is that the 1400 metres is in his favour."

Last year Shango's Image won a heat of the Winter Championship at Bendigo over 1300 metres and was third to Grundy's Crossing in the Provincial Plate (1600m) at Flemington.

On Saturday Camperdown-based jockey Neville Wilson will ride Shango's Image who is meeting similar horses to the ones he has raced at his last two starts.

Lee Freedman may hold the key with Broadband and Chong Tong who finished fourth and fifth respectively in the Standish while Lord Volksraad flashed home when second to Social Glow in the Christmas Stakes.