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Battle Plan will attempt to complete a notable family double when he steps out for the first time at Trentham on Saturday.
The two-year-old will debut in the Listed Sweet Orange @ Highview Wellesley Stakes, seven years to the day since his half-brother Al Farouk won the Gr.3 Thompson Handicap.
Pukekohe trainer Dean Wiles has opted to head south with Battle Plan in preference to the juvenile event at Auckland.“He’s a big, bold horse and I just felt that they may go a bit quick for him over 880 metres at Ellerslie,” he said.
“He’s pretty professional and the 1000 metres will suit him down to the ground. I’m going down there thinking he’s a really live chance.”Battle Plan placed in both his trial outings last month on rain-affected tracks and he will appreciate firmer underfoot conditions at Trentham.
“He needs good ground and both the jockeys that rode him at the trials said he was hopeless in the heavy going,” Wiles said.A son of Battle Paint, Battle Plan was a $10,000 Karaka purchase on behalf of his Singapore-based owner Sam Soo.
“He’s one of my good clients and I’ve always had two or three for him and this colt is well above average,” Wiles said.“I spent 15 years in Singapore and I’ve got 30 in work with a lot of them owned up there, although the door’s always open for New Zealand-owned horses.
“I try to qualify them for the Karaka Million, but if not and they show enough then they go up to Singapore.“I’ve had a couple of runners in the race with Brave Warrior, who ran 10th, and Mai Guru was fifth a couple of years ago. This horse is potentially better than both of them.”