Simple but proven race tactics and a rain-affected track will be key ingredients to help offset weight concerns for country star Border Rebel in the Listed Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford on Wednesday.Border Rebel is the beneficiary of a prized barrier in the feature $100,000 1200m dash with the gifted sprinter to start from the rails draw in the field of 11.It's a barrier trainer Sue Grills says should take a lot of the early guesswork out of the race for her apprentice Tim Bell."We should be

Simple but proven race tactics and a rain-affected track will be key ingredients to help offset weight concerns for country star Border Rebel in the Listed Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford on Wednesday.

Border Rebel is the beneficiary of a prized barrier in the feature $100,000 1200m dash with the gifted sprinter to start from the rails draw in the field of 11.

It's a barrier trainer Sue Grills says should take a lot of the early guesswork out of the race for her apprentice Tim Bell.

"We should be able to get a similar run to the one we had in winning the sprint on Scone Cup day," Grills said.

Border Rebel drew the inside gate in a quality sprint at Scone and raced just off the pace set by Black Prince before he joined the lead as the field swung into the straight.

"I'll be happy if a similar situation unfolds at Gosford," Grills said.

The negative for Grills is the 58.5kg Border Rebel has been asked to shoulder.

"I don't think he is well-weighted against a horse like Youthful Jack," she said.

"Youthful Jack has won better races than my horse."

Border Rebel has opened $2.90 favourite with TAB Sportsbet as he tries to make amends for a QTC Cup defeat which cost him a start in the Stradbroke Handicap.

The Stradbroke was won in the last stride by Black Piranha, the Sydney sprinter who finished almost five lengths in arrears of Border Rebel at Scone.

Grills has kept Border Rebel on the fresh side since the QTC Cup on June 5 with the four-year-old pleasing in his final piece of work on Monday.

"I worked him over 600 metres on the course proper here at Tamworth and he went super," Grills said.

"He is always a fantastic trackworker but the good thing about him is that he backs it up on race day."

Gosford officials downgraded the track to the slow range on Tuesday morning on the back of 10mm of overnight rain but a wet surface is likely to only enhance Border Rebel's prospects despite his impost.

"The soft ground will be ideal for him because it helps with his foot issue," Grills said.

Border Rebel is unbeaten in two starts on heavy tracks, including a 3-1/2 Listed race stroll over 1200 metres at Eagle Farm on April 24.

The John McNair-trained Hay List is $3.20 second favourite with Darley's in-form sprinter Skytrain the only other runner under double-figure odds at $4.20.

The weather will be the key to Hay List lining up at Gosford with McNair also nominating the sprinter for the Healy Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.