Tavago will have a defining track gallop before a decision is made on a delayed start to his spring preparation.

The Australian Derby winner is an acceptor for Saturday's Group Two Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley on Saturday but trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young will wait until he gallops at Cranbourne on Thursday before confirming a start.

"A mile first-up can be a hard run but he will go to the mile either way, whether it's this Saturday or next Saturday," Busuttin said.

"We've got to gauge his fitness. He's not a horse that will take a lot of racing to get fit so he is one that we could get away with having a little setback with."

Tavago was scheduled to return in the Group One Memsie Stakes at Caulfield last Saturday but was a race morning scratching after pulling a tooth out the previous night.

Busuttin said it was not too serious and it was touch and go whether he would run.

"It was getting on towards scratching time and we still weren't certain so when you're thinking about it the right thing to do is to scratch," Busuttin said.

"If it was a weak race he would have been running."

If he doesn't run on Saturday, Tavago will run in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington a week later.

His original program was the Memsie followed by the Makybe Diva and the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on October 2 before the Caulfield Cup on October 15.

But Busuttin said if Tavago runs on Saturday he may head to the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield on September 24 as a lead-up to the Caulfield Cup.

The trainer is mindful Tavago has previously failed to back up quickly.

He said Tavago had 13 days between a first-up third at Ellerslie and last in the Waikato Guineas as a three-year-old.

"He jarred up badly first-up and then wouldn't jump out of the gates and tailed out badly," Busuttin said.

"It was then touch and go to get to the New Zealand Derby but he had a month between those runs and came right.

"Looking further down the campaign the Turnbull Stakes is only 13 days before the Caulfield Cup.

"He is a year older and you can't judge that on just one run but it's something we're mindful of."