The chance to test Bombay Sling in the Sydney direction ahead of the $1 million Golden Rose has convinced Victorian trainer Clinton McDonald to bring the talented colt north this weekend.Bombay Sling will take his place in The Run To The Rose (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday despite also being nominated for the Listed Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield."He'll come to Sydney as long as he draws a good barrier," McDonald said."It's a better run into the seven furlongs (1400m) of the Golden Rose."Reig

The chance to test Bombay Sling in the Sydney direction ahead of the $1 million Golden Rose has convinced Victorian trainer Clinton McDonald to bring the talented colt north this weekend.

Bombay Sling will take his place in The Run To The Rose (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday despite also being nominated for the Listed Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.

"He'll come to Sydney as long as he draws a good barrier," McDonald said.

"It's a better run into the seven furlongs (1400m) of the Golden Rose."

Reigning champion jockey Hugh Bowman will take the ride on Bombay Sling who showed plenty of promise in his initial campaign.

He won one of his six starts but was competitive with some of the better two-year-olds, finishing third to Reward For Effort on debut in the Blue Diamond Preview and second to brilliant filly Rostova in the Group Two VRC Sires' Produce Stakes.

Bombay Sling resumed with a sound fourth to Starspangledbanner over 1000m at Caulfield on August 1 and considering the colt had not had an official barrier trial in the lead-up, McDonald was happy with the run.

"He was a bit fat and burly and he'll improve on that," McDonald said.

"He's a nice horse who's done everything right and we're quietly confident going into Saturday.

"He'll still improve on whatever he does and go into the Golden Rose one hundred per cent."

McDonald said connections opted to target the Golden Rose rather than the Caulfield Guineas because they believed many of the top three-year-olds would be aimed at the latter.

"The Golden Rose is a $1 million race, Group One, and it won't be as strong as the Caulfield Guineas which is a Group One and the same sort of prizemoney and status," McDonald said.

"We thought he could be more competitive in the Golden Rose than the Caulfield Guineas."

McDonald isn't afraid to travel far and wide to find the right races for his gallopers.

He brought Vain Stakes nominee Finishing Card to Canterbury on Wednesday and the colt finished an encouraging second to the smart Exceed With Me.

He has also had placings with Needlebox and Pacino at Sydney meetings in recent weeks.

Both finished second to up-and-coming Chris Waller-trained stayer Voice Coach but Needlebox will get the chance to go one better at Rosehill on Saturday when he tackles a Rating 86 handicap over 2000 metres with Blake Shinn to ride.