Griff set to contest Eskimo Prince Stakes

Caulfield Guineas winner Griff is on a mission to add another classic win to his resume, this time in Sydney.

The colt is set to resume in the $250,000 Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes at Randwick this Saturday for what will be an exclusively Sydney campaign.

Trainer Ciaron Maher is upbeat about the three-year-old’s condition this time in, and while not ruling out the possibility of Griff getting over further than 1600-metres eventually, he doesn’t see a need to test his limits this autumn.

“He’s a very straightforward, clean, horse and you could probably try, but the Guineas will be the go,” Maher said.

“He’s come back well, he has furnished a little bit.

“He’s going to campaign in Sydney and probably head to the Guineas at Randwick.”

Griff is among 13 entries for the 1200m Eskimo Prince Stakes with Spring Champion Stakes winner Tom Kitten, Golden Rose runner-up Encap and classy filly Tiz Invincible among his possible rivals.

While the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) on March 9 will be Griff’s immediate target, Maher is also open to stepping him out against the older horses in the Doncaster Mile (1600m) should his form warrant.

Three-year-olds have a good record in the Doncaster winning nine of the past 28 renewals with Brutal in 2019 the most recent.

Meanwhile, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will look to finalise their Blue Diamond Stakes hand when a trio of their youngsters step out at Randwick.

Bott said the stable’s two juvenile winners at Rosehill on Saturday, Canonbury Stakes victor Prost and Widden Stakes heroine Lady Of Camelot, were both in the mix for Melbourne’s Group 1 feature.

He also wants to see how a trio of their two-year-olds perform next weekend with Inglis Millennium pair Fully Lit and Trunk, along with Lonhro Plate hopeful Anode, all under consideration for a Blue Diamond start.

“Anything that has run this weekend and next weekend are possibilities for the race,” Bott said.

“Any of these could go to the Blue Diamond. She (Lady Of Camelot) could go down, Prost could potentially go down and anything out of next week, Anode and potentially Trunk.”

Bott confirmed Fully Lit and Trunk would be their only Inglis Millennium runners as Sovereign Hill had been sent to the paddock.