Beacon's co-trainer Chris Wood says he deliberately missed the nominations for the big metric miles at Ellerslie and Trentham.
They look natural targets for racing's most dramatic improver, but the stable wants instead to have a crack at the $A2.5 million Doncaster Handicap at Easter in Sydney before the horse gets too high in the handicaps.
It takes a very good horse to step up to open company after only 10 starts and Beacon made it look easy at Avondale yesterday, taking his record to six from 11.
Rider Mark Hills even had to apologise to Chris and Colleen Wood for having Beacon in front too soon in the home straight.
"He just got there so easily," said Hills.
Chris Wood said they will now spell Beacon to perfectly time his preparation into Easter.
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Debut juvenile winner Luiton was the luckiest horse racing at Avondale yesterday.
The Bruce Wallace-trained colt survived giving third-placed Warrior Prince a decent bump halfway down the home straight.
That there was no judicial inquiry surprised everyone who witnessed the incident.
At the weigh-in, Warrior Prince's rider, Mark Du Plessis, advised chief stipendiary steward Noel McCutcheon that he wanted to view the head-on video.
McCutcheon told Du Plessis he had seen the video and would not be instigating an official inquiry on behalf of the judiciary because he felt Warrior Prince had contributed to the severity of the interference by moving out fractionally towards Luiton.
Du Plessis watched the video several times before deciding not to lodge his own protest. He felt he had a strong case, but reasoned his chance of success was that much less if the stipendiary stewards felt the placings should stand.
"It definitely cost my horse winning the race," Du Plessis told the stewards before leaving the inquiry room.
It was a mammoth effort by Luiton, who was last of the seven runners to hit the ground and had to race three wide in mid-field to the home turn. He did not flinch in the final stages, grabbing the hot favourite Mr Bossini in the last stride.
Luiton picked up the $25,000 NZ Bloodstock bonus for the win and will chase a further bonus at Ellerslie on December 28. Then he will head to Trentham for the $150,000 Colts and Geldings Prelude on January 22, followed by the $500,000 Mercedes Classique at Te Rapa in February.
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Visitor Armstrong took a definitive step towards a start in the $350,000 Westbury Stud Auckland Cup when he held out the fast-finishing favourite Starina yesterday.
"We might have to win another race to get in the field at Ellerslie," said Wellington owner Don Frampton.
"He hasn't won an open race so the Manawatu Cup might be a good option as a lead-up to Ellerslie."
Armstrong has won four straight and stuck gamely to his task to just hold out Starina.
The latter was held up for several strides when trying to clear a gap to lodge a home-straight challenge.
"She doesn't have the speed to stay handy, but she's a very good mare," said rider Michael Walker.
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Patience by the Moroney/Scott stable landed Conquistar the $20,000 Peninsula Hotel Stakes yesterday.
Last season's Matamata Breeders Stakes winner took a long time to find her true form this campaign and was having only her third start this season yesterday.
"She's a filly who just doesn't do well early in the season," said Andrew Scott.
"She wasn't eating well and was light in condition and it's taken the sun on her back to get her right."
Next month's Oaks at Trentham has always been the long-term plan.
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