Danny O'Brien is planning a Tasmanian Cups assault with imported English galloper Reputable.

Formerly trained in England by Luca Cumani when he was named Gold Option, Reputable posted his third Australian win when he resumed in Saturday's Robert Hunter Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield.

His campaign was delayed when a bout of hives prevented him racing at Moonee Valley on December 27 but he could not have been more impressive on Saturday winning by a length from Flagstaff and Greatwall Of China.

A five-year-old, Reputable has now won five of his 13 starts including victories at Newmarket and Sandown in England.

O'Brien's assistant trainer Gino Mata said Reputable was an emerging stayer and a relaxed tempo allowed him to show his class in a testing first-up assignment.

"When he got hives he broke out in lumps everywhere but we were able to keep the work up to him with Tasmania in mind," Mata said.

The Hobart Cup (2200m) on February 9 and the Launceston Cup (2400m) on February 25 are his primary autumn goals.

"His maternal grandsire The Minstrel won an English Derby and we have always wanted to get him to a mile and a quarter (2000m) and a mile and half (2400m) in better grade races," Mata said.

Ballarat trainer Darren Weir also has Tasmanian targets in mind for Time Matters after he won the John Moule Handicap (1400m).

Formerly trained by Lee Freedman, the six-year-old was sidelined for nearly two years through injury but always had a lot of potential.

"A lot of work has been done by a lot of people to get him right again and he does a lot of beach work at Warrnambool," Weir said.

Time Matters was having only his third run for Weir at Caulfield and came off a last-start eighth to Rubiton Stakes winner Mind Your Head in the Listed Christmas Stakes on Boxing Day to score by a length from El Mandon and Ma Shang.

Weir said the Gilded Time gelding would be aimed at the $80,000 Listed Thomas Lyons Stakes (1400m) on February 9 and the Listed $100,000 George Adams Plate (1600m) at Launceston on February 22.

© AAP 2024 Published 11/01/09