John Thompson is preparing to have his first runner in a Group race just a week after starting his new career as a trainer for Patinack Farm.The long-time foreman to Bart Cummings has Teranaba nominated for both the Group Two Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) and the Tramway Handicap (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.Stablemate Chopped is also nominated for action on Saturday in the Listed Ming Dynasty Handicap (1400m).But Thompson said the three-year-old was likely to run in the Happy Birthday Gai Handic

John Thompson is preparing to have his first runner in a Group race just a week after starting his new career as a trainer for Patinack Farm.

The long-time foreman to Bart Cummings has Teranaba nominated for both the Group Two Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) and the Tramway Handicap (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Stablemate Chopped is also nominated for action on Saturday in the Listed Ming Dynasty Handicap (1400m).

But Thompson said the three-year-old was likely to run in the Happy Birthday Gai Handicap on the Kensington track at Randwick on Wednesday.

"I started last Monday. It was a slow start, we had no staff but we've got the numbers up and we're ticking along nicely," Thompson said.

Teranaba, who won the 2006 Group One Spring Champion Stakes when trained by Anthony Cummings, has not won a race since.

The six-year-old entire ran last of eight when he resumed over an unsuitable 1200 metres at Doomben on August 22.

"He's a big gross stallion but he's come back in very good shape," Thompson said.

"We just have to try and get him going again. We need to get him fit and then aim for something at a mile (1600m) or 2000 metres."

Thompson said Teranaba would be unlikely to start in the Chelmsford.

"I want to run him in the 1400 metre race, the only reason I nominated him for the Chelmsford was that he is a slight chance of missing a start in the Tramway,"

"But even if he does miss out, he probably won't run in the mile (1600m) race anyway."

There were 24 entries for the Tramway which has a field capacity of 15 while the Chelmsford attracted 12 entries headed by dual Group One winner Vision And Power.

Thompson is the son of former Crown Lodge trainer Vic Thompson and wants to repay the faith Patinack Farm's Nathan Tinkler has shown in him.

"I appreciate Nathan picking me out of a big crowd and hopefully I can do well for him, he's a very nice person," Thompson said.

His appointment is part of the restructuring of Tinkler's thoroughbred empire that resulted in Patinack's 140 boxes at Warwick Farm being split between Thompson and Jason Coyle.

At the moment Thompson has a team of 30 horses in his care.

"Most of them are very young horses, unraced two and three-year-olds. I've got about four older ones," Thompson said.