Trainer Aaron Purcell will play a waiting game with import St Jean who is in danger of missing a start at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

St Jean is second emergency for the Sportingbet Handicap (1500m) which has attracted a strong line-up including Foundry and The United Stakes who are part of owner Lloyd Williams's string of imported gallopers.

Dual Oaks placegetter Zanbagh, formerly trained by the late Guy Walter and now in the care of Patrick Payne, is also set to resume.

Purcell would like to kick off St Jean's campaign on Saturday but said missing the race would not have a major bearing on the horse's spring staying prospects.

"I'll just cross my fingers and hope for the best but I've got him nominated on Wednesday at Sandown as well and there's a couple of races the following Saturday that are also possibilities," Purcell said.

"It would be good to kick him off on Saturday and get his preparation started."

St Jean ended his first Australian campaign with back-to-back city wins in Melbourne over 2000m and 2400m in May.

Purcell is hoping to run the horse in next month's Naturalism Stakes because the winner of that race earns a ballot exemption from the Caulfield Cup for which St Jean holds a nomination.

The trainer admits he is still learning about the five-year-old but is looking forward to seeing what level he can get to this campaign.

"He's fit enough to get going and everything he has done this time in has been really good," he said.

"He definitely hasn't gone backwards from last preparation and I'm looking forward to him getting back out there.

"If he can win enough to get into a good race so be it. If he doesn't, we'll just take any win that he gets and be happy with that."