Flying Home’s recent eye-catching return to racing has created a programming poser for his trainer Barry Baldwin.
The six-year-old started at $26 in an open handicap over 1350m at Doomben when he flashed home for a close third behind class gallopers Lady Echelon and Harada Bay.
Baldwin admitted the logical next step for Flying Home would have been to run him in the open 1600m race at Doomben on Saturday.
Instead Baldwin has accepted with Flying Home in the shorter Nairn Constructions Open Hcp (1350m).
“Placing him has become a bit of a problem. Once they get over 90 in the ratings here they are hard to place,” Baldwin said.
“No matter what I ran him in on Saturday it would be another four weeks until there was a suitable race for him.”
“There is a 2000 metre race next Saturday but that was no good to us because it was too soon.
“Instead his next race after Saturday will be at 1600 metres at Doomben in four weeks.”
“So after all that I decided to keep him on the fresh side and run him on Saturday over the 1350.”
Flying Home has won up to 2200m and will eventually be back in longer races later this year.
“He has come back really well and he went extra well in a jump-out and then first up at the 1350,” Baldwin said.
“Chris (jockey Chris Munce) said in another couple of strides he would have won.”
Flying Home has won seven races, all 1400m and beyond, but Baldwin said the task was not beyond him.
“It isn’t the hardest open company race and he is still fresh enough to be in the finish,” he said.
Baldwin trains Flying Home for north Queensland owner Tom Sheahan. The pair’s biggest successes so far have been with Burdekin Blues whose wins include the 2009 Group Two Expressway Stakes at Randwick.
Meanwhile, trainer Bevan Laming has booked claiming apprentice Bridget Grylls for Tattersalls Cup winner the Inventor in Saturday’s race.
The Inventor, who hasn’t started since running ninth in the Queensland Cup on July 5, could join Laming’s Melbourne stable late in the spring if he races well.
