Anthony Cummings expects Best Case to make his presence felt in the Sandown Guineas but the trainer will wait until the autumn to step Surge Ahead up to Group company.

Best Case, fourth in the Carbine Club Stakes at the Flemington carnival, will be Cummings' only runner in Saturday's Group Two Sandown Guineas (1600m), being held this year at Caulfield.

Surge Ahead, a half-brother to Smart Missile, won a Listed 1800m race at Flemington on Oaks day prompting plans to run in the Guineas.

But Cummings has had a change of heart and he has been sent for a spell.

Cummings believes Best Case can develop into a Group One Australian and Randwick Guineas player next autumn and saw enough merit in his last-start Flemington run to be optimistic heading into Saturday.

The Carbine Club Stakes was won by the Peter Snowden-trained Paximadia who controlled the race from the front.

"A really slow pace in the Carbine Club played against him but his run was really good," Cummings said of Best Case.

"He got caught behind (runner-up) Hucklebuck and that horse was late coming into the picture and we were behind it.

"There should be better speed on Saturday and that will be to his benefit."

The Carbine Club Stakes has been a reliable guide to the Sandown Guineas with 12 horses coming through the Flemington race in the past 30 years to win the Guineas, while five have completed the double.

Best Case, a brother to Strike The Stars who was unplaced in Saturday's Group One Emirates Stakes, defeated subsequent Wakeful Stakes and VRC Oaks winner Kirramosa in a photo finish over 1600m at Randwick two starts ago.

Cummins said Surge Ahead would be aimed at the three-year-old staying races in his next campaign.

"Surge Ahead is going to go to the paddock and his target will be the Rosehill Guineas in the autumn," Cummings said.

"A decision will be made after that but he'll most likely go on to the Derby."

Caulfield hosts the Sandown Guineas meeting this year because Sandown is out of play due to track renovations.

All nine races on the program are stakes races including the Group Two Zipping Classic (2400m).