Kendrick to play key role at Eagle Farm

Trainer Stuart Kendrick hopes Playfield can break his maiden at his sixth attempt.

Caloundra trainer Stuart Kendrick is planning a Sydney campaign for stakes horse Eric The Eel but another three-year-old Playthefield carries the stable’s hopes at Eagle Farm.

Kendrick entered Playthefield for the Sunshine Coast on Friday night and the QTIS Three-Year-Old (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

The likelihood of a wet track at the Sunshine Coast means Playthefield will run at Eagle Farm.

Playthefield is still a maiden but has been placed at all five of his starts including a third in the $250,000 Magic Millions Maiden last month.

Kendrick said he had been keen to get Playthefield out to 1600m on the big Eagle Farm track.

“He has drawn the extreme outside barrier but he gets back anyway so it shouldn’t be a major problem,” Kendrick said.

“Like everyone else we are trying to work out how the track will play if we get the predicted rain. But wet or dry it shouldn’t be a major worry.”

Playthefield, an $85,000 son of multiple Group One winner Sepoy out of stakes winner Presenting, is a half-brother to the well-performed Our Boy Nicholas.

Kendrick has his eye on a winter carnival campaign for Playthefield but first wants to confirm he is a genuine “miler”.

He is still deciding where to schedule Eric The Eel’s comeback run after the gelding ran second to top three-year-old Alligator Blood in a trial on Sunday.

Eric The Eel was taken to Melbourne for the Group One Caulfield Guineas in the spring but was injured in the run and missed the Victoria Derby.

“I will either run him at Eagle Farm over 1200 metres on Saturday week or give him a 1200 metre trial and run him first up at 1400 at the end of the month,” Kendrick said.

“If he continues to please we will then be off to Sydney for the three-year-old staying races. He wants at least 2000 metres these days.”