BEYOND Infinity is on trial for Walcha and Guyra Cup assaults when the Armidale gelding runs in today’s $15,000 Armidale Citizen of The Year Walcha Cup Prelude (1300m) at Armidale.
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Armidale trainer Paul Grills believes the son of Exceed and Excel can “stretch out” to the 1440m of the Walcha Cup and is using today’s 1300m Walcha Cup Prelude at Armidale to test his plan for a Cups campaign at Walcha (Friday, February 6) and a March 1 Guyra Cup (1400m at Armidale).
Grills prepares the five-year-old for a syndicate including Matt Jackson, Bruce Coppock, Craig Waters and St Kilda Hotel publican Harley Payne.
The gelding has been knocking on the door too, with seconds at Coonabarabran, Doomben and Coffs Harbour in three of his last five starts.
“He’s fit and rarin’ to go,”Grills said.
“I’ve upped his work rate a bit to try to get him out to 1300m and 1400m.
“He showed he can do it at Coffs last start.”
Racing over 1200m at Coffs Harbour on January 11, he came from last at the 400m to weave his way through the middle of the field and beat all bar Speed Of Dark.
“He made a hole through the middle somehow and finished on strongly,” Grills said.
“He won’t have that time at Armidale but we’ll try to ride him quiet and see if he can finish on.”
Beyond Infinity’s last win was at Armidale when he won a Class 3 with a big weight after leading all the way.
Today he has drawn 10, a draw that Grills is not too happy with.
However if he does please him with the way he finishes his 1300m assignment, the Walcha and Guyra Cups could be on his schedule.
“Yeah, we might take him to Walcha and then back here for the Guyra Cup and then a race on Armidale Cup day.
“We might take him to the coast for the winter too.”
Grills also has Kingston Time in good form.
After winning at Gunnedah he finished second to Sue Grills’s Couperin on Friday at Scone.
“He was short of a gallop,” Grills said of his runner-up effort.
“I was going to Grafton with him (yesterday) but then spotted the 2200m at Scone.
“You wouldn’t believe it, he and Couperin have raced against each other with two wins and a second and a third each.”
Paul Grills will be pitted against Sue Grills again today, with the Tamworth-based trainer running Keep It Danish in today’s Walcha Cup Prelude.
Winner of the Prelude is exempt from ballot in the February 6 $30,000 Walcha Cup (1440m).
