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By Ray Hickson

The great unknown of how Know Thyself will handle a second tough mile within six days is the big question co-trainer Paul Messara has about his chances of extending his winning streak to five in Friday’s Listed $200,000 Darley Scone Cup (1600m).

It’s been a big two months for the four-year-old who has strung wins together in the Northern Wild Card, Country Championships Final, a Benchmark 78 at Randwick and last week’s The Coast.

Three years ago Rustic Steel backed up after winning at Gosford to claim the Scone Cup then later in the year trained on to win the Big Dance.

Messara said that race appeals to him for Know Thyself later this year and, with Big Dance eligibility up for grabs, feels if the horse does handle the turnaround he will be hard to beat.

“You never know if horses can back up until you actually do it,’’ Messara said.

“And it’s not seven days it’s six days, we’re going to find out and if we did get a softer track it’s definitely to his benefit.

“He seems to have come through the race well.

“It was a pretty hard run, it was a fast run race and he sat handy to the speed but he’s given no indication he’s taken any harm from the run.”

Know Thyself, $2.60 with TAB on Thursday, rises 1kg on his win in The Coast where he sat just behind the leader Townsend, hit the front on the turn and kept them at bay to win by a length.

In an ideal world Messara said jockey Ash Morgan will be able to find a back to follow into the race from a middle gate this time around.

“I think he will be better with cover, that’s the key to it, and it’s a big field and they’re going to run along at a good clip,’’ Messara said.

“He doesn’t need to be right on the speed. If he ran up to his best he’s definitely a winning chance on a low weight.

“I think he’s pretty good on top of the ground but he can handle the wet and a lot of horses can’t and that’s to his benefit.”

Messara will monitor how things pan out in the lead up to Saturday before deciding whether classy mare Clear Thinking takes her place in the Listed $200,000 Emirates Park Kids Foundation Ortensia Stakes (1100m).

He said nothing has changed with the five-year-old’s off the track behaviour, she still isn’t a great trackworker, and if she does line up has barrier 16 to contend with.

“I don’t know whether it is a good or bad barrier,” Messara said.

“She’s normal for her, she’s a hard one to get a line on. You don’t find out until race day with her.

“She just goes through the motions and we’ve just got to have a bit of faith in her and see.”

Clear Thinking carries blinkers for the first time in the Ortensia.

“I think she needs something to spark her up a bit. She’s quite relaxed in everything she does and I thought it might pep her up a bit mentally,’’ he said.

Gentileschi raced herself out of Highway company with a first-up win and Messara feels she’ll be competitive in the Muswellbrook Ford Handicap (1700m).

She’ll drop 6kg on her win up the road at Muswellbrook if she does gain a start as third emergency.

“I’m very happy with her, I loved her first-up run,’’ he said.

Know Thyself wins The Coast

“If she didn’t win there she’d have gone to the Highway and she would have been hard to beat there.

“If she runs up to her best with the light weight, she’s probably a bit out of the handicap, I think she will run well.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Scone meeting