Expressway Stakes winner Rain Affair is well on the way to fulfilling his destiny as a top line sprinter and trainer Joe Pride is looking to Neeson to do the same.
Pride has always had a high opinion of Neeson who he hoped would develop into a superior miler but he admits he may have got that wrong.
The five-year-old’s efforts beyond 1400 metres have been disappointing but a win over Hurtle Myrtle in the Group Two Premiere Stakes (1200m) in the spring showed Pride he was on the right track.
After the Premiere Neeson failed in the Salinger Stakes down the straight at Flemington but after a short break, he proved he was on target for the autumn with a barrier trial win on Friday.
“He went well in the trial and I was very pleased with him,” Pride said.
“He will run in the Group Three Southern Cross Stakes over 1200 metres at Rosehill in two weeks.
“There will be no more 1600 metre races for him. He will be treated as a sprinter.”
Rain Affair stamped himself as the best sprinter in Pride’s Warwick Farm stable with his Group Two win on Saturday.
Pride is likely to run him over 1400 metres next before bringing him back to 1200 for the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.
The Apollo Stakes at the February 25 Rosehill meeting is the likely option with the Group One Futurity and a clash with Black Caviar a possibility depending on the weather.
The winner of nine of his 10 starts, Rain Affair is adept on all surfaces but excels on wet ground.
He led all the way under Corey Brown in the Expressway on the slow track and had four lengths to spare over 2011 winner Centennial Park.
Stakes winner Ladys Angel and unraced three-year-old Upshot also won trials for Pride at Warwick Farm on Friday.