Trainer Bev Laming will put his reputation with stayers to the test in Sydney during the spring following Crossthestart's decisive victory at Doomben.The former New Zealand gelding passed his first attempt over a middle distance by downing early leader Hey Elvis by three-quarters of a length in Saturday's Ray White Handicap (2020m).Laming won two Brisbane Cups with Desert Chill in 1995 and 1997 when it was a Group One race over 3200 metres and now trains in partnership with his son Richard who h
Trainer Bev Laming will put his reputation with stayers to the test in Sydney during the spring following Crossthestart's decisive victory at Doomben.
The former New Zealand gelding passed his first attempt over a middle distance by downing early leader Hey Elvis by three-quarters of a length in Saturday's Ray White Handicap (2020m).
Laming won two Brisbane Cups with Desert Chill in 1995 and 1997 when it was a Group One race over 3200 metres and now trains in partnership with his son Richard who heads up the stable's Victorian arm.
"I think he'll make a good handicapper," Laming said of Crossthestart.
"I'll run him in a class six set-weights race at Doomben next week then take him to Sydney for the Metropolitan."
The $600,000 Group One The Metropolitan (2400m) will be run at Randwick on October 3.
Crossthestart won three of his first five starts in New Zealand before arriving in Australia as a three-year-old last year.
He failed in his first two Brisbane starts during last year's Brisbane winter carnival before Laming sent him to Victoria where he failed to win in five races.
Since returning to Queensland this winter, Crossthestart is only now fulfilling his early promise and landed his third win in six starts this campaign on Saturday.
Laming will nominate Crossthestart for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups but his instincts tell him the two big features may be outside his scope.
"I'll nominate him for the Cup races in Melbourne but he's better going this direction," he said.
"He'll start off in the Metropolitan and he should get in with a light weight.
"We'll see how he goes in Sydney before looking too far ahead."
Meanwhile, Toowoomba trainer Roger Milne will be hoping for his biggest payday in January after Captain Sonador booked a Magic Millions Trophy campaign following his narrow victory in the Trilby Misso Handicap (1350m).
Captain Sonador provided Toowoomba rider Ron Goltz with a successful comeback from injury when the youngster stormed home to down Startling Pleasure by a short neck.
Goltz suffered rib cartilage and shoulder injuries in a Gold Coast fall seven weeks ago and Captain Sonador was his only Doomben ride.
Milne believes Captain Sonador will improve over further ground next season and will immediately spell the son of Shamardal.
"He'll get over ground as he gets older but in the meantime I want to spell him and aim for the Magic Millions Trophy," he said.
The $1 million Magic Millions feature will be run over 1400 metres at the Gold Coast in January.