The Queensland Derby campaign of talented three-year-old Definite Choice will step up a gear on Saturday when he makes his Brisbane debut at Eagle Farm.While trainer Greg Hickman was still fine-tuning travel arrangements on Monday, he hoped Definite Choice and stablemate Shabana would be on a float to Queensland on Tuesday night."I galloped Definite Choice this morning so he'll have an easy day tomorrow and hopefully travel up to Brisbane tomorrow night," Hickman said."Then he can have another e
The Queensland Derby campaign of talented three-year-old Definite Choice will step up a gear on Saturday when he makes his Brisbane debut at Eagle Farm.
While trainer Greg Hickman was still fine-tuning travel arrangements on Monday, he hoped Definite Choice and stablemate Shabana would be on a float to Queensland on Tuesday night.
"I galloped Definite Choice this morning so he'll have an easy day tomorrow and hopefully travel up to Brisbane tomorrow night," Hickman said.
"Then he can have another easy day on Wednesday, do a bit of pace work on Thursday and race Saturday."
Definite Choice will line up in the Group Three Gunsynd Classic (1600m) at Eagle Farm with Larry Cassidy to ride while last start winner Shabana will also be nominated for that race, along with a Class Six Plate over the same trip.
The lightly-raced Definite Choice has shown staying promise finishing fourth to subsequent Victoria Derby winner Monaco Consul in the Group One Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick in October.
After finishing down the track first-up in March over an unsuitable 1200m he was an encouraging last start fifth to Star Of Octagonal in the Group Three South Pacific Classic (1400m).
"It was a much improved run last time," Hickman said.
"That horse of John O'Shea's (Lagerphone) held up the start and my bloke went to sleep in the gates and came out last.
"We thought we'd be on the pace, which would have suited him and he probably would have finished in the prize money."
Hickman said Definite Choice would follow a traditional path towards the Group One Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 12.
He has pencilled in the Rough Habit Plate (2020m) at Doomben on May 15 and Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) at Doomben on May 29 as Derby stepping stones.
Hickman also has his sights on Classic riches with Shabana who will be aimed at the Group One Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm a week before the Derby.
The filly broke through for a deserved win when she resumed at Canterbury earlier this month.
That was just her fifth start and she had bumped into some smart gallopers on her way through the grades, including glamour filly Faint Perfume who she finished second to at Warwick Farm last June.
"I've always known she could gallop but then she ran into a horse like Faint Perfume at her third start," Hickman said.
Registered as the Doomben Classic, the Gunsynd Classic (1600m) is one of three stakes races at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The program also features the weight-for-age Group Two Sir Byrne Hart Stakes (1200m), known this year as the Victory Stakes, and the Listed Tails Stakes (2100m), formerly the Peter Gallagher Stakes.