Trainer Danny Williams will split his racing team on Saturday to enhance his chances of landing a two-state double.
Barn mates War Charm and Deceiver were both paid up for the same 1200m races at Rosehill and Flemington.
In Queensland for the Magic Millions sales, Williams confirmed Deceiver would board a float to Melbourne overnight with War Charm to fly the stable flag in Sydney.
Williams, who trains at Goulburn, a two-and-a-half hours drive south of the Sydney, doesn’t expect the bushfire crisis in NSW and Victoria to affect travel arrangements for his pair.
“There were fires yesterday this side of Gundagai but I think they burnt through pretty quickly,” Williams said.
“The barriers determined where they will run.
“I wouldn’t have liked to run them together.”
War Charm drew the outside of the 16-horse field at Flemington but fared better with gate eight in the Rosehill Gardens Handicap (1200m).
He resumed with a fast-finishing and luckless third over 1100m at Canterbury last month following a lacklustre Brisbane winter campaign.
“He had a few issues while he was up there (in Brisbane),” Williams said.
“We had lots of rain and he just jarred up on the cushion track and didn’t come up.
“But his last run was great. I couldn’t have been happier.
“If he reproduces that he will be very competitive.”
Williams will also start the in-form Court Connection in the Become An ATC Member In 2013 Handicap (1900m) at Rosehill.
A Canterbury winner over the same distance two starts ago, Court Connection was runner-up to Angelus last start and that horse has since placed at Listed level.
Jason Collett will partner Williams’s Sydney pair and with the bulk of Sydney’s top riders either at the Gold Coast, injured or suspended, Williams feels fortunate to snag the New Zealander.
Williams initially hoped to book Hugh Bowman before he committed to Magic Millions mounts, then set his sights on Blake Shinn before Shinn also got an invitation to the Gold Coast.
It was a case of third time lucky with Collett.
“I’ve used Jason once before and I was quite impressed with him,” Williams said.
Vlad Duric will ride Deceiver in the Tauto Handicap (1200m) in Melbourne.
