Group one placegetter Keen Commander will have a barrier trial at Warwick Farm this week before heading to the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions Sprint.The five-year-old has not raced since running sixth to Swick in the Group One Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 8.That run came a week after he ran sixth to Hot Danish in the Group Two Salinger Stakes over the same trip.Trainer Denise McGrath said Keen Commander would run in the $100,000 Bat Out Of Hell Handicap at the Gold
Group one placegetter Keen Commander will have a barrier trial at Warwick Farm this week before heading to the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions Sprint.
The five-year-old has not raced since running sixth to Swick in the Group One Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 8.
That run came a week after he ran sixth to Hot Danish in the Group Two Salinger Stakes over the same trip.
Trainer Denise McGrath said Keen Commander would run in the $100,000 Bat Out Of Hell Handicap at the Gold Coast on January 3 before tackling the $200,000 Magic Millions Sprint (1000m) a week later.
McGrath celebrated her first stakes win courtesy of Keen Commander when the frontrunner claimed the Listed Starlight Stakes at Randwick in February.
He was run down late to be beaten just a half head by Typhoon Zed in the Group One Galaxy a few weeks later.
"He'll be trialling on Friday at Warwick Farm and then we'll get him ready to take to the Gold Coast," McGrath said.
"The Bat Out Of Hell will be more like a trial for him and a chance to have a good look at the track and then he'll go to the Magic Millions Sprint where I'm expecting him to be very competitive."
McGrath said Keen Commander's ability to handle the trip to Melbourne held him in good stead for his Gold Coast assignment.
"He was a bit flat when he first came back but overall he handled the experience very well," McGrath said.
"I couldn't have been prouder of him and what he did in Melbourne, he's not really a 1200 metre horse and he ran sixth in two top races."
The promising outlook for Keen Commander provides McGrath with something to smile about with the career of talented stablemate So Bewitching hanging in the balance following her Mona Lisa Stakes flop at Wyong on December 7.
So Bewitching failed to beat a runner home in the 1350 metre race and a back injury was detected when she returned home to Warwick Farm.
"We had the chiropractor go over her and she was gone across the back," McGrath said.
"We think she either did it slipping on take-off or she got cast in her box the night before the race.
"Either way she is still very sore and if she hasn't improved in a couple of weeks we could have to look at other options."