Trainer Brian Wakefield will resist the temptation to rush talented three-year-old Grayson Square interstate for a spring carnival campaign.
After Grayson Square won narrowly but impressively at his first start at Doomben last month, Wakefield floated the idea of travelling interstate with the gelding.
“I was toying with taking him interstate but the timing wasn’t right and I would prefer to keep him up here for his immediate future,” Wakefield said.
“The plan is to run him in a 1200 metre three-year-old QTIS race at Doomben on Saturday then a 1400 metre race at Eagle Farm a fortnight after that.
“Then I’ll freshen him up and head to the Gold Edition Plate during the summer.”
The long-term goal for Grayson Square will be next year’s Queensland Guineas during the winter carnival.
Wakefield paid $NZ105,000 for Grayson Square at last year’s New Zealand yearling sales at Karaka.
“He wasn’t on our list originally but I liked him as soon as I saw him and we ended up getting him for what I thought was a reasonable price,” he said.
“He’s a tall horse and still has a lot of growing to do because he’s a big baby at the moment.
“Once he fills out and grows into his frame with a bit more maturity he’ll have an impressive physique.”
Grayson Square started at $31 on debut when he defeated talented filly Doubtfilly at Doomben but Wakefield was confident he would perform well despite his inexperience.
“While you can never be too bullish when you’re up against horses of the quality of Doubtfilly, and I was certainly respectful of them, it wasn’t really a surprise to me knowing the ability he’d been showing us,” Wakefield said.
“He’s done really well since his first start with a easy few days on the water walker which he’s really enjoyed.
“He’s very bright and happy and he certainly hasn’t gone backwards.”
