Will Saturday be a lucky day for team Hawkes?

The heavens will decide if Darciwood, the half-brother to Melbourne Cup runner-up, Maluckyday, makes his debut in Saturday’s Nissan Micra Sprint (1100m) at Warwick Farm.

The Hawkes Racing-trained galloper is expected to show "a bit more sprint” than Maluckyday. His co-trainer Michael Hawkes declared "he’s a completely different horse”.

"He’s a sprinter/miler with more speed (than Maluckyday),” Hawkes said.

"We’ll be keeping an eye on the track. He’s a lovely horse with plenty of ability and the track will need to keep improving otherwise we might wait.”

Darciwood has drawn barrier 12 in a 13-horse field but gets the services of Brenton Avdulla, who rode a treble at Wednesday’s Canterbury meeting.

"Unfortunately he’s drawn an awkward barrier,” Hawkes said before making a case for the son of Darci Brahma.

"He does have gate speed and is an adaptable sort of horse,” he said.

Hawkes said, Maluckyday, "one of the best stayers I’ve ever touched” arrived back at the operation’s Flemington stables at the start of July.

The Zabeel gelding hasn’t raced since September last year after suffering a bout of pneumonia which ended a 2011 Melbourne Cup campaign.

"He’s in Melbourne, is ticking along nicely and will trial or jump-out soon,” Hawkes said.

"We’re hoping he has a date with destiny on the first Tuesday of November.”

Other Cups hopefuls, Polish Knight, who finished second in this year’s Australian Derby is also back in work at the Sydney stable while Niwot is also at Flemington under the care of Michael’s brother Wayne.

Story: Nic Ashman RaceNet