Sydney plans were put on hold for Force Command after the Group One Australian Guineas but can be revived at Bendigo on Saturday.
Trainer Greg Eurell is lamenting another poor barrier draw for Force Command in the $150,000 Bendigo Guineas (1400m) after the colt raced wide without cover from an outside draw when finishing worse than midfield in the Australian Guineas.
A better showing at Flemington would likely have seen him contesting Saturday’s Group One Randwick Guineas in Sydney, but instead he’ll be chasing his maiden win at Bengido.
Eurell has gone from being confident earlier in the week to hopeful because of a wide draw in the big field.
“The barrier is a negative and it’s a bit of a shame because the horse is leading into this really well,” Eurell said.
“It would have been nice to have drawn a good barrier to see what he could do. He’s bounced out of the Guineas really well and this would have been a nice race for him from good gate.”
Eurell said the plan with Force Command will be for jockey Brent Evans to roll forward early and hope to slot in somewhere.
“We had to be a bit conservative from the gate last start and it didn’t do him any favours,” the trainer said.
“We’ll roll forward. He’s very fit and we’ll try to capitalise on that. If he’s lucky enough to find a spot in the first six or seven I’ll be happy with that.”
Force Command was runner-up in the Manfred Stakes and C S Hayes Stakes in his first two starts this campaign before his ninth in the Australian Guineas.
Eurell said if the colt can post his first win, or run well, on Saturday he would look at still taking him to Sydney for the Group Two Phar Lap Stakes (1500m).
Force Command is on the third line of betting in an open market behind Ninth Legion and Lonrockstar.
Talented stablemate Hosting was also nominated but Eurell said he had been sent for a spell and would be gelded.
First-starter Solicit will represent the Eurell stable in the $250,000 Gold Rush (1000m) for two-year-olds.
The filly is a half-sister to Group-winning mare Star Of Giselle and Eurell believes the youngster will improve on whatever she does, with a view to next season.
“I’m looking forward to her stepping out as a three-year-old,” he said.
