Trainers have a cunning plan for Beaumarchais

Matamata trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards are cooking up a plan to have Beaumarchais ready to take out next month’s Group II Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton.

The training duo will produce four-year-old Beaumarchais in tomorrow’s Group III Grant Plumbing Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham as a key leadup to the New Zealand Cup week feature in Christchurch.

‘‘We’re throwing him in the deep end a bit this weekend secondup in the Thompson but he’s carrying only 53 kilos and we’d like to think he’d be a genuine lightweight chance in the Coupland’s,’’ Richards said.

Beaumarchais has won just twice in 10 starts but he finished fourth in last season’s Group I New Zealand Derby (2400m) and second in the Group III Manawatu Classic (2000m) before resuming with a third placing over 1400m at Ruakaka earlier this month.

‘‘He pleased us with his run at Ruakaka. There was a bit of bias towards frontrunners that day, as there can be at Ruakaka, and he was doing his best work on the line from back in running,’’ Richards said.

‘‘He’s improved out of that race and the form out of that race has stacked up since with [runner-up] Royal Success winning at Rotorua last Saturday.

‘‘Danielle [Johnson, jockey] came over and galloped him on the course proper on Tuesday and his work was very good. We’re just having a go at a couple of good handicap races while he’s down in the ratings a bit.’’

Autridge and Richards have their team spread far and wide this weekend but Trentham will also be a key focus for two promising youngsters from the stable.

I Am Invincible two-year-old filly Queen Of The Air makes her stakes debut in the Listed Anuka Smoker Wellesley Stakes (1000m) after a fast-finishing Pukekohe second on debut and Savabeel colt Embellish has his final 2000 Guineas leadup in the Hiremaster Premier (1400m).

❚ NZ Racing Desk