Racing: Emerging stayer looks sitter for Queensland

Weeding the garden isn't high on Linda Laing's list of favourite things to do on a Sunday.

But the Cambridge trainer may yet get a break or two from the weekend chore if Fly 'n' High keeps running as he did at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Laing admits the three-year-old still has plenty of growing up to do.

She trains in partnership with her father Royce Dowling and they are already looking across the Tasman for a campaign with the unbeaten Catbird gelding.

"A race like the Queensland Derby would really suit him," said Laing between pulling weeds.

"He's definitely going to be suited to more ground - what he has done to date is just a bonus.

"Even Leith [Innes, jockey] said he's already looking for 1600m."

Innes was having his first ride on the horse on Saturday. Singapore based Mark Du Plessis was aboard for his winning debut on the course on December 28 and Laing legged him on with one warning.

"I said the only thing you've got to watch is that when you hit him with the stick he can duck in he goes that quick.

"For a big horse he's got an amazing turn of foot. On Saturday Leith gave him one backhander and he went whoosh."

Laing and Dowling have had a big opinion of Fly 'n' High from the moment he first came into work last winter.

Dowling has a long history of training runners from the same family, which include Royal Stakes winner Gay Sharon and Gay Sovereign who won 13 races between them.

The other satisfying part to Fly 'n' High's emergence as a potential star is the stable's long-standing connection with owner Mike OToole.

"It's great to see this horse perform for Mike," said Laing.

"He lost his wife recently and he's been a great family friend for years."

Laing doubts they'll ask Fly 'n' High to front in a race like the Wellington Stakes on Saturday week.

"He's only running now to stop himself getting hurt in a paddock."

The Trentham feature is, however, on the agenda for another impressive Ellerslie winner, Tusker.

Cambridge trainer Murray Baker rated the well-bred filly a potential Oaks runner earlier on and isn't surprised she's finally living up to that assessment.

"I've had a lot of top fillies so I know how good she is," said Baker, who trained Filly of the Year winners Kates Myth, Staring and Lets Sgor.

Maiden graduate Brave Mariner was the other three-year-old to score like a horse going places in a hurry on Saturday.

But Matamata trainer Lance Noble isn't tempted to rush the Danasinga gelding into black type company.

"I'll probably give him a break now he's been in work for a long time, even though he's only had two races," said Noble, who scored an Ellerslie double with Seventh Heaven.

"He's always shown us plenty and that win was quite exciting really. He had to change ground and dig deep, yet he still found the line strongly."

Noble is instead heading to Trentham with Wakefield Challenge Stakes hopeful Irish Nova and his $100 Oaks chance Tinkerbeel.

With no wins on the board yet the Zabeel filly looks a forlorn hope to make the Oaks field.

But Noble is confident of a consolation prize in the maiden 2200m if Tinkerbeel misses a start in a black type event. Tinkerbeel has had wretched luck in recent runs and will relish the step up in distance.