Trainer David Kelly is confident Another Takeover can repel a strong interstate challenge in his open company debut in the Rankins On The Mall Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday.Another Takeover, an impressive last-start winner at Doomben on Australia Day, will clash with five NSW invaders while a sixth, Fangles, has only been in Queensland with trainer Stephen Jones for three of his 34 starts.Kelly has a good opinion of Another Takeover after buying the son of Minardi for $120,000 as a two-year

Trainer David Kelly is confident Another Takeover can repel a strong interstate challenge in his open company debut in the Rankins On The Mall Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Another Takeover, an impressive last-start winner at Doomben on Australia Day, will clash with five NSW invaders while a sixth, Fangles, has only been in Queensland with trainer Stephen Jones for three of his 34 starts.

Kelly has a good opinion of Another Takeover after buying the son of Minardi for $120,000 as a two-year-old at the Gold Coast Breeze-Up sales.

Now five, Another Takeover returned his purchase price when he took his prizemoney tally to $131,000 with his sixth career win last start.

Kelly is steadily building a formidable team on the Gold Coast where he has trained for the past three years.

The former NSW Northern Rivers jockey began his career training at Grafton where he stayed for five years before 12 months at Eagle Farm in Brisbane.

He would dearly love to return home to Grafton to win the Listed Ramornie Handicap in July with Another Takeover.

"I got beaten a nose with Good Result the year Sir Breakfast won the Ramornie and I'd love to go back to win it some day," Kelly said.

"I'd also like to win the Grafton Cup and I think I've got the horses in the stable to do it this year."

Kelly rode for 15 years in the Northern Rivers before weight forced a career change into training.

"My weight was always a problem and I had trouble getting under 55 kilos," he said.

Kelly rode numerous winners on Sydney tracks including his first on former top sprinter Razor Sharp at Randwick in November 1984.

Another Takeover has been a late maturer but Kelly feels the turning point in the sprinter's career came when he was gelded in July last year.

"He wouldn't begin and was always storming home in his races," Kelly said.

"But since we gelded him he concentrates on the job a lot more.

"This is the first time he's been in open company but I'm confident he'll run well as he raced against the top graders as a three-year-old."

The interstate visitors in the 12-horse field include topweight The Jackal, Nuclear Medicine, Ollie Vollie, Testimonial and Looking Fur Lang.

Gun apprentice Timothy Bell is back to ride Ollie Vollie for his boss Sue Grills after scoring on the seven-year-old at Doomben last month.

It was one of four wins on the day for Bell who only recently turned 17.