Leading Melbourne trainer Peter Moody says Hanks isn’t ready to win Saturday’s Group I Randwick Guineas (1600m) but the race will be a crucial test for the three-year-old.

Moody is preparing to scratch Hanks from the Group I Crown Guineas (1600m) to tackle the Randwick version with the $500,000 event to be Hanks’s first attempt at racing right-handed.

The Caulfield conditioner is yet to officially scratch Hanks from the Melbourne event but will do so as soon as transport arrangements are finalised for the gelding.

The trainer said Hanks must gain experience at the reverse way of going before his two main autumn assignments, the Group I Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and the A J C Australian Derby (2400m).

“He’s a big dumbo really,” Moody said.

“He’s done plenty of pacework at home right-handed but he needs the practice going that way and he’s taken a bit of time to get used to it.

“He needs to actually go out and do it in a race and Saturday’s race is the perfect opportunity for him to gain experience.”

Moody said he only expects Hanks “to be running on at the end of the race” on Saturday but also thinks the son of Encosta De Lago will improve greatly on whatever he does.

“It’s his first long trip away and his first real test at this level of racing,” Moody said. “He’ll derive a great benefit going into the Rosehill Guineas which is a race more to his liking.”

Moody snapped up champion jockey Damien Oliver to ride Hanks after trainer Danny O’Brien decided not to accept with Spacecraft.

Hanks is on the second line of TAB Sportsbet’s market at $9 behind the $3.80 favourite Shoot Out.