Trainer Robert Heathcote has long believed Solzhenitsyn capable of measuring up at the top level.

On Sunday at Caulfield the gelding will get the chance to prove him right when he steps up to Group One company for the first time in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).

The six-year-old has 10 wins from 22 starts, including his past four in succession.

Heathcote says he has faith in the gelding and believes he has done as much as possible ahead of his bid to prove himself at the elite level.

"From day one I earmarked him as a potential top liner," Heathcote said.

"Whether or not he can climb that Group One mountain, he certainly gets his opportunity on Sunday.

"His last four runs, he couldn't have done anything else but do what he's done. They've been impressive wins, he's carried weight - and he drops down to 53kg (on Sunday).

"I'm confident he'll race well but you can never be confident of winning a Group One."

Heathcote said a potential wet track would not be an issue.

"The tricky Caulfield track could test him out as it has done many horses in the past and I believe there might even be a little shower or two about but the horse doesn't mind a little bit of give in the ground," he said.

"He travelled down really well on the flight on Tuesday night - it was four hours from box to box for the boys.

"Everything's going perfectly so far."

Solzhenitsyn is well drawn in barrier two but Heathcote says he will leave tactics to jockey Corey Brown, even though his last start was a little nerve-wracking.

Resuming from a three-month spell, Solzhenitsyn won over 1350 metres at Doomben on September 8 but Heathcote said he had to overcome early problems.

"That first-up run there was a bit of heart in the mouth stuff for the first 500 metres," Heathcote said.

"What a lot of people weren't aware of was when the horse came out he jumped sideways and struck the side of the barrier and the jockey nearly fell off.

"He got a bit unbalanced and got off the bit. It took him a while to get back on the bit and start concentrating.

"I think if Corey wakes him up pretty early in the race you'll see him just off the speed there somewhere."