Tony McEvoy admits Big Memory's appearance in Saturday's Listed Australia Day Cup is a deviation from his own rule book.

The European import will leap steeply in grade from his win in a benchmark race at Canterbury last month into stakes company.

But the move is part of a bigger plan which encompasses autumn and spring goals.

"It is an aggressive placement going from a benchmark 74 straight to a Listed. I don't normally do that, I normally bring them through a little quieter than this," McEvoy said.

"But with what I've got planned for the horse - I am trying to get him to an Adelaide Cup - I thought we'd best find out.

"If I'm right about him and he does handle it well and we can get to an Adelaide Cup, it qualifies him for everything I want him qualified for in the spring."

The Group Two Adelaide Cup, run over the Melbourne Cup distance (3200m), is at Morphettville on March 10.

Saturday's Australia Day Cup will be an important pre-cursor to that race, not just as a class test but as a distance examination.

Big Memory has not raced beyond 1900-metre in his 10 starts.

However, McEvoy's instincts tell him the horse will relish a genuine staying trip.

"He's got a lot of rhythm, the horse, and he's got good economics," he said.

"He suggests to us he will stay all day and that's what we're hoping for."

Big Memory had two starts at his initial Australian preparation in the winter for two average results.

McEvoy was quick to pinpoint the problem. And to rectify it.

"He was a colt when he arrived and he just wasn't concentrating. His work was telling me he was a horse of a good standard but his races were opposite," McEvoy said.

Big Memory was gelded and McEvoy has noticed a significant change in attitude.

It has also translated to improved form with Big Memory landing a win and two seconds in three runs since the procedure.

He is an $8 chance for the Australia Day Cup with Travolta a $3.20 favourite to go one better than his second in the corresponding race 12 months ago.

Victorian Heaven's Riches is an early scratching, leaving a compact market which has six of the seven runners at $8 and under.