Doomben win locks in Sydney trek for consistent Grey Assignment

TOUGH gelding Grey Assignment earned himself a trip to Sydney when he scored a winter carnival consolation win at Doomben yesterday.

Grey Assignment

TOUGH gelding Grey Assignment earned himself a trip to Sydney when he scored a winter carnival consolation win at Doomben yesterday.

Trainer Kelso Wood is taking five horses to Sydney, including star four-year-old Sizzling, but he has no more consistent horse than Grey Assignment.

Wood had believed Grey Assignment was a genuine winter horse but fate intervened before the start of the carnival.

“He threw his jockey at track work and got away. He crashed on some cement and did some serious injuries. It has taken us a good while to get him back,” Wood said.

Grey Assignment had two runs back from injury over the unsuitable 1200m.

Starting $3.80 Grey Assignment scored by a short head to Double Impact ($1.90), with 3/4 length to Ferment ($3.30) in the Carlton Draught Open Handicap (1630m).

“He will run in the Premiers Cup at Rosehill in a fortnight. It is over 1800m and I think that is Grey Assignment’s best distance,” Wood said.

He said after the Cup run he would determine whether Grey Assignment would tackle better races.

Grey Assignment has now won 12 races and run 10 seconds from 40 starts.

Apprentice Aidan Holt scored his first Saturday metropolitan win aboard Grey Assignment.

Holt was originally from Townsville but is now with Eagle Farm trainer Steve O’Dea.

“I have been getting my weight under control and it is good that some top trainers are starting to use me,” he said.

Anthony Allen said Double Impact had fought on well but the winner was a shade too strong.

Tim Bell said Ferment had not been suited by the hacking pace in the middle stages.