TARKA passed his test at Warwick Farm on Wednesday and now trainer David Payne will set him on a Group 1 path this spring.

The All Too Hard three-year-old ($3) was giving away a 4kg weight advantage to $2.15 favourite Matowi in a Benchmark 66 Handicap (1600m) but proved too strong and talented in the straight to win by a long neck.

Payne said after the win Tarka could go on to the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) on September 22 before tackling the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on October 6.

A trip to Melbourne after that for the Victoria Derby (2500m) is also on the agenda.

“That’s what he’s bred to do and he’s a nice horse,” Payne said. “If you look at him, he’s a little bloke. He’s not big and he carried 61kg, so he looks like he could be a serious horse.”

Tarka is out of the unraced mare Gayika, who carries the tough staying blood of her father, Galileo. Payne is confident punters have only seen the start of bigger things to come this spring.

“He’ll be much better over 2000m and more. He’s a typical Galileo horse. He’s little but with a big action,” he said. “We didn’t want to give them too much of a start with the big weight today and I think there’s a lot of improvement in him.”

Jockey James McDonald backed Payne’s call that Tarka was a Group-standard colt and is confident he will run a trip strongly because he relaxes so well during his races.

“To lug 61kg around and come away with the win is a good effort,” McDonald said. “He does (give me a Derby feel). He’s got the turn of foot and a great nature.”

Payne will run fellow Spring Champion Stakes-bound Toulouse in the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

“It’s hard to compare them but they’re both on the same path. Toulouse might need the run as well on Saturday,” he said. “He’ll be competitive but he’s got plenty of improvement in him after Saturday.”