The Grafton Cup is the next mission for former Victorian stayer Shoreham who has pleased his new trainer with his recovery rate from his stable debut at the Gold Coast.
Shoreham ran a close second to an old foe, Escado, in Saturday’s Group Three Tattersall’s Cup (2400m), his first start in the clockwise direction.
The five-year-old was transferred from Saab Hasan to Sydney trainer Gerald Ryan after prominent owner Les Cowell bought him privately.
Shoreham came from back in the field to get within a head of Escado who won the 2013 SA Derby in which Shoreham was third.
They met again in the Easter Cup at Caulfield in April with the Matt Laurie-trained Escado second to Sertorius with Shoreham third.
“The Grafton Cup is three weeks away and looks the right sort of race for him before he has a break,” Ryan said.
“He has pulled up very well and looks as if he has improvement in him.
“The plan has always been the Tattersall’s Cup and the Grafton Cup because Les comes from around there.”
Ryan took a team of eight to Queensland for the winter carnival and will have two runners at Doomben on Saturday as the season winds down.
McHawi, a seven-time placegetter from 10 starts, gets his chance to put a win on the board in the $100,000 Maiden (1350m) while two-year-old Rainbow Nation will be making his debut over 1200 metres.
“They will both probably spell after Saturday,” Ryan said.
“Rainbow Nation is a lovely colt and we will just give him the one start and let him winter up there before he comes back for the spring.
“And the maiden is worth $100,000 so that is a good race for McHawi.”
