Bevan Laming hopes the unorthodox training method he used with St Basil to win a Stradbroke Handicap will help Crossthestart clinch a trip to Sydney for the Metropolitan Handicap.Laming took the unusual step of sending Crossthestart from his Gold Coast stables to work with a stablemate between races at Doomben on Wednesday, three days out from his assignment in Saturday's Blacks Trucks Class Six Plate (2136m) at Eagle Farm.Crossthestart is being aimed at the Group One Metropolitan (2400m) at Ran

Bevan Laming hopes the unorthodox training method he used with St Basil to win a Stradbroke Handicap will help Crossthestart clinch a trip to Sydney for the Metropolitan Handicap.

Laming took the unusual step of sending Crossthestart from his Gold Coast stables to work with a stablemate between races at Doomben on Wednesday, three days out from his assignment in Saturday's Blacks Trucks Class Six Plate (2136m) at Eagle Farm.

Crossthestart is being aimed at the Group One Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on October 3 and a possible trip to Melbourne for the Caulfield Cup (2400m) two weeks later.

"I did the same thing with St Basil three days before he won the (2005) Stradbroke and a lot of people at the time said I was mad," Laming said.

Laming ordered the extra work for Crossthestart as the five-year-old faces a steep jump in distance from his last start third over 1500 metres at Eagle Farm on September 5.

"It's a big jump in distance from 1500 metres but I was pleased with his work at Doomben and it should help," Laming said.

"Provided he runs well on Saturday he'll travel to Sydney and run in the Metropolitan if he gets in.

"He's still not qualified for the Caulfield Cup so I'll need to find a suitable race to qualify him if he goes on to Melbourne."

Laming has several options to get Crossthestart into the Caulfield Cup including the Group Two Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield on October 10.

Laming decided against nominating Crossthestart for the Melbourne Cup (3200m) fearing a lack of maturity for the country's premier staying feature.

Crossthestart was ridden in his exhibition gallop by Jim Byrne who will again partner the son of Cape Cross on Saturday.

Rival trainer Rob Heathcote will start both Beartracker and Eureka against Crossthestart but Laming rates the former as the hardest to beat.

Beartracker will again be ridden by claiming apprentice Mitchell Speers who finished second on the gelding behind D'Elcatraz over 2106 metres at Eagle Farm last start.

Larry Cassidy replaces apprentice Chris McIver on Eureka who finished third in the same race.

"My horse has got his share of weight and I think Beartracker is the one to beat with the claim," Laming said.

Laming has a good opinion of Crossthestart but is reluctant to compare him with his former star stayer Desert Chill who won two Brisbane Cups in 1995 and 1997 when the feature was a Group One over 3200 metres.

However, he does rate Crossthestart superior to his former top staying mare Yakama who won the Herbert Power in 2003 for jockey Damien Oliver.

Crossthestart won three of his first five starts for trainer Ralph Manning in New Zealand before arriving in Australia as a three-year-old.

"Roger James had him when he came to Australia but he went no good and then Peter Moody had him in Melbourne but couldn't win with him," Laming said.