Ken and Kasey Keys chasing Launceston Cup triumph with promising stayer Pure Grunt

Victoria trainers Ken and Kasey Keys are happy to have a crack at Wednesday’s Launceston Cup with lightly-raced stayer Pure Grunt.

Pure Grunt will tackle more experienced stayers in Wednesday's $250,000 Launceston Cup. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Cranbourne trainers Kent and Kasey Keys plan to strike early with developing stayer Pure Grunt in Wednesday’s $250,000 Launceston Cup.

The father and daughter training duo decided to give Pure Grunt a shot at the Group 3 feature at only his 10th start.

Ken Keys said the idea was to target the Launceston Cup while Pure Grunt was able to tackle the race with only the limit weight on his back.

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Pure Grunt will go into the Launceston Cup after posting his third career win over 2400m at Sandown earlier this month.

“I think it’s always important with these sort of horses that he does continue on as a potentially decent horse and he gets into this race with only 54kg,” he said.

“I thought that while he was a young horse on the way up, it might be a good opportunity to give him a trip away and a crack at something like this.

“It’s better than waiting until they’ve done everything they can and they’re weighted up to his best.”

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Keys said running in the Launceston Cup was only part of the reason for the trip across Bass Strait.

He said the exercise of heading to Tasmania on the ferry was also part of Pure Grunt’s development.

Pure Grunt and jockey Zac Spain will again combine in Wednesday's Group 3 Launceston Cup in Tasmania. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

“The trip will make him grow up because he’s never left the home farm before and whether it was either here or Adelaide, he needed to have a trip away somewhere,” Keys said.

“At his first trip away, it is always a bit hit-and-miss.

“He’s arrived safely and arrived well but he’s only been here one day.

“He left a little bit of food last night but that’s pretty normal but, other than that, he’s all good.”

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Pure Grunt is an $8 chance in early Launceston Cup betting with the Ciaron Maher-trained Promises Kept and Strawberry Rock topping the market at $2.40 and $5 respectively.

Keys said that duo and the Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained Alhambra Lad would provide tough competition for the four-year-old.

“I’m hopeful of a good result but there’s a couple of Ciaron’s there and Paddy’s horse as well and they are all pretty handy horses,” Keys said.

“It’s still pretty tough to get into the first half dozen.”

Jockey Zac Spain will stick with Pure Grunt in the Launceston Cup.