Star Queensland sprinter Burdekin Blues is heading to Sydney for a dress rehearsal before his Newmarket Handicap mission.The four-year-old will leave Brisbane by float on Tuesday and race in either the Expressway Stakes on Saturday or the Frederick Clissold a week later.He will then head to Melbourne for the Group One Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 7.Burdekin Blues passed a special test with flying colours when he galloped anti-clockwise at Eagle Farm on Saturday morning which
Star Queensland sprinter Burdekin Blues is heading to Sydney for a dress rehearsal before his Newmarket Handicap mission.
The four-year-old will leave Brisbane by float on Tuesday and race in either the Expressway Stakes on Saturday or the Frederick Clissold a week later.
He will then head to Melbourne for the Group One Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 7.
Burdekin Blues passed a special test with flying colours when he galloped anti-clockwise at Eagle Farm on Saturday morning which buoyed trainer Barry Baldwin's confidence about the interstate campaign.
"He worked over 800 metres the reverse way on Saturday morning and he handled it a lot better," Baldwin said.
"He's been doing a lot of three-quarter work the reverse way but this was the first time he was allowed to stride out.
"From the 1000 metres to the 1400 metres he ran 23.5 seconds so I can't complain about his work."
"He's leaving by float on Tuesday and I'll wait and see how he travels down before we make a decision which race he'll run in."
Baldwin has three sprinters nominated for the Newmarket Handicap but only Burdekin Blues is a confirmed starter in the south.
Baldwin hasn't ruled out Simplest campaigning interstate but the future race career of Nericon King is over in Australia after the four-year-old bled for a second time when fourth to Azzaland at Doomben on Saturday.
Baldwin favours the Clissold Stakes for Burdekin Blues' first Sydney start as the Expressway Stakes is run at weight-for-age.
"I'll talk to his owner first but if he runs in the Expressway then Shane Scriven will probably go down to ride him," Baldwin said.
"But if he starts in the Clissold then Larry Cassidy will ride him because he'll get a light weight and Larry will have first refusal in the Newmarket."
The Newmarket Handicap is run down the straight at Flemington with Baldwin still in two minds whether Burdekin Blues will start in the Group One Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield a fortnight earlier.
"I'm still a little worried about running him around Caulfield," he said.
Baldwin believes Burdekin Blues will need to win in Sydney to ensure he'll get enough weight to gain a start in the Newmarket Handicap.
Burdekin Blues has won six of his 10 starts including his past three by an average of 6-1/2 lengths.