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By Ray Hickson

It’s fair to say it was never Plan A for a horse with Gold Trip’s credentials to be kicking off in the middle of winter but co-trainer David Eustace says Saturday’s Listed $160,000 ATC Foundation Winter Challenge (1500m) at Randwick is an ideal start point.

Trainer David Eustace (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The import arrived in Australia for the spring carnival last year, and was scratched by vets from the Cox Plate, but hasn’t raced since running third in a Group 1 at Saint Cloud behind Broome in July 2021.

He’s run fourth in the 2020 Arc De Triomphe and has a Group 1 placing behind superstar Mogul earlier in his career so he’s more than earned his 61kg.

“He wasn’t able to race in the spring as everyone knows and he missed the autumn so timing has landed him in this race,’’ Eustace said.

“But it’s a pretty good race for him. He’s got 61kg so he’s not burdened with a ridiculous weight and the conditions of the race suit him.”

Jason Collett rides Gold Trip, $7.50 with TAB on Thursday, who trialled at Albury on July 12 on his way to Sydney and finished second behind an unraced two-year-old called Supido Beauty over 900m.

Eustace, who co-trains with Ciaron Maher, said it was a worthwhile exercise to have the entire clean out the cobwebs in that gallop but said it’s hard to be bullish about a first-up win given the layoff and resuming on a heavy track with 61kg.

“He had to go up the road for a trial and he had to go up the road to get to Sydney so it wasn’t the end of the world,’’ he said.

“He needed that and a trip away would have done him good, and he’s really come on for it.

“He’s shown nice ability at home, naturally 1500m is short of his best but we are hopeful he is going to have the turn of foot to be competitive. We’re expecting him to run well without being confident of winning.

“Saturday is going to tell us what sort of sharpness he has in his legs, he’s been pretty sharp at home but his European form suggests he’s 2000m-2400m.

“His second-up run will really identify where he goes.”

It’s possible that it won’t be until the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m), on September 17, when Gold Trip makes his next appearance.

Stablemate Charleise has been overlooked by the market according to Eustace on the back of a pleasing third in the Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on a heavy track three weeks ago.

It was her third run this campaign and he believes $13 is generous considering she’s coming into the race hard fit and with just 53kg.

Gold Trip runs second in an Albury trial on July 12

“She has had an excellent prep and you can put a line through her (second-up) Ipswich run,’’ he said.

“She’ll handle the conditions, she’s fit, got a lovely weight and I think she will run a good race.

“I thought the market was fairly upside down. You’ve got Gold Trip and Mugatoo kicking off having not run for a long time, I thought they were a bit short and she was a bit long.”

Meanwhile, star rising three-year-old filly Coolangatta is expected to make her first public appearance this campaign in a barrier trial in early August.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting