Sold For Song in carnival switch

Trainer Kevin Kemp will revert to a horses-for-courses plan for Toowoomba mare Sold For Song when she searches for Melbourne Spring Carnival success on Saturday.

In a mid-campaign rethink by Kemp, Sold For Song will now target the Group Two tab.com.au Stakes on Saturday’s iconic Derby-day program at Flemington in preference to the Group One Myer Classic (1600m).

The $300,000 tab.com.au — formerly the Linlithgow Stakes — is run down the Flemington straight 1200-metre course.

Sold For Song made an eye-catching carnival debut on October 7 with a strong-finishing second behind Keen Array in the Group Two Gilgai Stakes (1200m) down the Flemington straight.

She was then luckless at Caulfield two weeks later when she raced wide throughout before being beaten 51⁄2 lengths in the Group Two Tristarc Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

The Tristarc was planned to be Sold For Song’s springboard into Saturday’s Myer Classic, but with her Gilgai run still firmly in mind Kemp is keen to return to the “straight six” well.

“Her first-up run down the straight in the Gilgai was a cracker,” Kemp said from Flemington yesterday.

“And it’s probably not even worth talking about Caulfield after the run she had there.

“But she’s done beautifully since and her work Saturday and again this morning have been spot on.

“The Myer was always an option for her but why not revert to the straight race where she ran so well before?

“We’re really happy getting her back to 1200 metres and she is ticking over nicely for it.”

Brisbane jockey Jimmy Orman will again ride Sold For Song on Saturday in what shapes as possibly her final spring carnival run.

Fields for the Derby-day support program will be declared this morning.

Sold For Song yesterday was listed as a $23 chance in tab.com.au betting behind early race favourite Ravi ($5.50) for team Snowden.