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By Ray Hickson

Randwick Guineas winner Converge is being set on a Golden Eagle path this spring.

Co-trainer Adrian Bott said on SEN on Wednesday the rising four-year-old has enjoyed a good break since his uncharacteristic failure in the Doncaster Mile and the $10 million feature run over 1500m at Rosehill Gardens on October 29 is an attractive option.

Converge is on the $15 line in TAB’s all-in Golden Eagle market and Bott, who trains with Gai Waterhouse, said his build up to the spring will be a steady one with the late-October goal in mind.

“He seems in really good shape, he spelled really well and has put on some good condition,’’ Bott said.

“He’s nice and well and above himself in the nearly stages of the preparation.

“A race like the Golden Eagle at the back end of the carnival is going to be the ideal target for him.”

The son of Frankel is a two-time Group 1 winner and his battles with star Godolphin colt were a highlight of the autumn three-year-old races.

Converge wins the Randwick Guineas in March

He ran third behind Anamoe in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes before downing him in the Randwick Guineas over the mile.

When stretched to the 2000m in the Rosehill Guineas he was no match and Bott said the latter two runs on heavy ground took their toll when it came to the Doncaster.

“He had a taxing campaign, probably just reached the end of the road by the time we got to the Doncaster,’’ he said.

“The number of runs he had on those testing tracks just ultimately caught up with him.”

Group 1 winning sprinter In The Congo is also back in work and whether he makes a play for a TAB Everest slot or takes the easier option in Melbourne is yet to be determined.

In The Congo, currently $18 in TAB Everest all-in betting, only raced three times in the autumn for a close third behind Shelby Sixtysix in The Galaxy, a second to Mazu in the Group 2 Arrowfield Sprint and an unplaced effort in the All Aged Stakes.

“We’re going to keep him to the sprint distances this time in,’’ Bott said.

“We stretched him to 1400m in the All Aged and it was a high pressure race but we feel he will be more effective over shorter trips.”

Sydney Cup winner Knights Order will be aimed at the Melbourne Cup and Bott said he may start his campaign in Sydney before heading south.

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