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By Ray Hickson

It’s been a long term plan by trainer Ross McConville to test his promising sprinter South Of India in Saturday’s Group 3 $300,000 Snap Print Solutions Warra (1000m) but tackling it off a shock first-up defeat wasn’t in that plan.

The Kembla Grange trainer set his sights on the Warra after South Of India won at Randwick in July and it was all going swimmingly until he finished second last at Randwick back on Big Dance day as a short-priced favourite.

Trainer Ross McConville (Pic: Grant Guy)

While McConville was a little surprised at the gelding’s starting price of $2.35 he said he was left puzzled by the performance and hopes he can bounce back to his best.

“We didn’t expect him to do what he did,’’ he said.

“He jumped and the horse kind of took off on Nash and he had to restrain him, which I really didn’t want him to do, and he just didn’t finish on.

“I think he had an issue with his mouth because we couldn’t find any other reason.”

The four-year-old, $13 with TAB on Wednesday, had won five of his six starts prior to his first-up defeat and will be the only Kembla Grange trained horse in the race.

He was bred by McConville, and the late Gwenda Markwell, and the trainer said what he lacks in stature he makes up for in physicality.

Whether he’s good enough jumping into a Group 3 sprint remains to be seen but McConville said it’s the right time and place to throw him in the deep end.

“It’s great to have a runner in this race and we’ll find out whether he’s up to it,’’ he said.

“He’s got a light weight and it’s his home track and we’ll make use of that.

“He’s not a big horse but he’s a very powerfully built horse. He’s got a good cruising speed and he seems to be able to maintain it.”

Stablemate Bully For You has won the same number of races as South Of India but in 38 starts so McConville said he can only be hopeful of an overdue success in the Midway Handicap (1400m).

The six-year-old was beaten three lengths at Kembla last Saturday where he was forced to make his run along the inside but gets a 5.5kg weight drop in his favour.

“He’s a horse that wins in turn but he needs a soft track and he really needs to get to the outside,’’ he said.

“Rory (Hutchings) couldn’t get him to the outside last start, he got stuck on the inside and he couldn’t get him out there. He’s a very honest horse and he’ll run well.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Kembla Grange meeting