Keinbah trainer Roy Roots Jnr has had a change of heart.
Therefore, his plans have now changed.
Originally, his last start feature race winner The Black Prince was being sent for a spell before being primed for the Breeders Crown in Melbourne at the end of the season.
But given how well he was doing during his time off, Roots Jnr has brought his emerging force back into work and the Queensland winter carnival now beckons.
The Black Prince will trial tomorrow night (Wednesday) at Newcastle in preparation for his Queensland Derby tilt.
“Yes, the original plan didn’t include the Queensland and we would go straight to Melbourne but the horse has done so well we have decided to head north and tackle the Derby before going to the Breeders Crown.” Roots Jnr said.
At his most recent start back on April 28 at TABCORP Park, Menangle, The Black Prince ran down star four-year-old Atomic Red to claim the Gr.2 $50,000 Carousel Final in a time of 1:54.1 for 2300m.
It equalled the three-year-old world record for the distance set by Sushi Sushi in 2007 at the same track.
Since arriving in Australia, the former Kiwi gelding has won 7 of his 10 starts and looks destined for bigger and better things.
During the New South Wales Derby series, The Black Prince chased home star Victorian colt Poster Boy in both the heat and final.
He ran third in the heat before finishing an unlucky fourth in the final.
The Gr.2 $75,540 Queensland Derby is scheduled for July 21 at Albion Park, the final night of the carnival.
A week earlier, the Gr.3 $30,540 South East Derby is the lead-up event.
Emerging young driving talent Chris Geary is the regular pilot of The Black Prince.
Local star Colt Thirty One, already a winner of the Gr.1 Victoria Derby earlier this season is being primed for his home state feature and continued with his excellent form with his routine victory in the Redcliffe Derby last Friday night.
Chris Barsby | RQ Web News | June 5 | Photo by Ashlea Brennan Photography