Speedy Kembla Grange galloper Skip Course has a solid barrier trial win under his belt as he ventures to Queensland for his second visit.
Trainer Donna Grisedale has made only one other trip to Brisbane, winning at Doomben with Skip Course in September.
She is confident Skip Course will be up to open company when he tackles the Bluescope Handicap at Doomben on Saturday.
“Skip Course had another Doomben run where he was fifth from an outside barrier. This time we have drawn barrier three and that will be to our advantage,” Grisedale said.
“He won first-up last time in Brisbane and does have a good fresh record.”
Grisedale believes Skip Course’s last-start sixth in the Randwick Tattersall’s Lightning, when beaten just over a length by Dothraki, showed the gelding was up to Brisbane open company.
Skip Course has not started since that race on October 17 but he won a barrier trial at Warwick Farm three weeks ago.
“It is a 13-hour trip from Kembla so we hope it is worthwhile,” Grisedale said.
The wife of former Sydney jockey Jon Grisedale, Donna worked with several top trainers including Jack Denham before starting her own operation which has grown to around 20 horses.
Skip Course has been one of her better horses as the $3000 buy from an Inglis sale has already won almost $100,000 in prize money.
Meanwhile, trainer John Zielke is poised to achieve the rare feat of winning two-year-old races on four consecutive Saturdays with different horses.
Zielke has dominated metropolitan juvenile this season, winning with Happy Event, Royal Tithe and Spot The Diff at the Gold Coast last Saturday.
He will saddle Stryking Stunnah in the MacDonald Sheetpiling Handicap.
Stryking Stunnah won a race at Gatton and was then second to Royal Tithe two weeks ago at Doomben.
