TRAINER Barry Baldwin has revised plans for Burdekin Blues and the gun sprinter will tackle the George Moore Stakes at Doomben next month.
The Group 3 sprint (1200m), previously called the Summer Stakes, is the start of Brisbane Racing Club's Triple Crown series.
The Doomben Stakes (Listed 1350m) and Bernborough Handicap (Listed 1615m) round out the series.
The original plan was to keep the five-year-old in Melbourne and run at yesterday's Sandown meeting, but the lure of the richer Group race was far more enticing.
"There was a 1000m race at Sandown, but the Doomben race is a Group 3 and is worth $128,000 to the winner, so I thought we'd bring him home instead," Baldwin said.
Burdekin Blues arrived at Baldwin's Eagle Farm stables last Thursday and has thrived since his brilliant win at Flemington on Emirates Stakes day, the last meeting of the Flemington carnival.
The Sequalo gelding was an easy winner for jockey Shane Scriven in the Listed Grazia Stakes, down the straight 1100m.
Baldwin wanted to see if Burdekin Blues could handle the straight course as he plans to take him back in January for the Group 1 Lightning (1000m).
He now intends to run the gelding at Doomben and then in the 900m Bat Out Of Hell sprint at the Gold Coast, before again heading to Melbourne.
"He doesn't have time for a spell and then go back for the Lightning, so this race fits nicely into his program," he said.
"I won't even consider going into the second leg (of the Triple Crown). He'll run at Doomben and then the Gold Coast and then he'll have about a month before the Lightning. He's done well since he won the other day and we have three weeks now to get him ready for Doomben."
Burdekin Blues has been consistent throughout his career, but is yet to win at Doomben. Baldwin hopes the handicapper will take that into account.
He has been out of the money only three times in 16 starts and has won over 1200m three times.
Burdekin Blues' biggest win was in the Group 3 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill in February.
Queensland Racing's chief handicapper Lester Grimmett said he and colleague Nathan Bourke had already discussed a possible weight for Burdekin Blues in the George Moore.
Grimmett said it would depend on the quality of the field, which in the past has attracted some smart sprinters, but it was doubtful Burdekin Blues would carry more than 60kg.
The gelding carried 59kg when he won an Open sprint at Eagle Farm, before lumping 57kg in the Grazia.
"I would be disappointed if they gave him 60kg," Baldwin said. "He is doubtful at the 1200m and although he has run three seconds at Doomben he is yet to win there. I'll be making Lester aware of that."
Gillian Heinrich will aim Ghetto Blaster and Rasmussen towards the sprint and fellow Gold Coast trainer Alan Bailey is also likely to target some of the races.
Eagle Farm trainer Robert Heathcote is likely to contest the Bernborough with Our Lukas, but said his smart filly Funtantes would bypass the rich treble.
"I might look towards the Bernborough with Our Lukas, but Funtantes is having a good break," Heathcote said.
"I'm going to leave her out for the entire summer and let her fully mature." | 
