Darci Be Good among Qld raid at Rosehill

Sunshine Coast-based Andrew Williamson is one of a trio of Queensland trainers targeting $100,000 benchmark handicaps in Sydney.

Williamson has Darci Be Good in Saturday’s Schweppes Mix & Serve Handicap over 1500m at Rosehill.

Eagle Farm trainer Glen Thompson, brother and son of Group One trainers John and Vic, has Cramming in the staying contest over 2400m.

And leading Brisbane trainer Robert Heathcote has Alpen Rose in the Club Marconi Armatrice Fund Handicap (1200m) with Tim Clark booked to ride.

Darci Be Good was formerly trained by the late Bede Murray before being sold as a tried horse.

Under Murray’s care he won the 2013 Group Three Hawkesbury Gold Cup but struggled to return to those heights.

The change of scenery allowed Darci Be Good to recapture some of his old form with three stakes placings.

“We’ve had a lot of fun with him,” Williamson said.

“He came in really good order and sound. Bede had obviously looked after him.”

Despite the connection between the two stables, Williamson has never met Murray’s son Paul who is in charge at the family’s Kembla Grange base.

The pair will go head-to-head on Saturday, with Murray saddling up Darci’s Affair – another son of Darci Brahma.

Williamson said the lack of suitable races in Brisbane for Darci Be Good convinced him to put the eight-year-old on a float to Sydney on Thursday.

“He’s probably looking for 1500 metres or a mile now instead of the 1350 metres at Doomben which might be a bit sharp for him,” Williamson said.

“I’m looking at going down for the Goulburn Cup (1600m) so as long as he races good on Saturday I’ll back him up in the following week.”

Williamson has opted to utilise apprentice Nick Heywood’s three-kilogram claim.

“It gets him in with 56kg which is a nice weight for him,” Williamson said.