Monday, 22 June 2009: Promising stayer Hume may chase one last winter prize at Grafton next month before his trainer Brian Smith focuses on his spring campaign.

Smith is keen to keep Hume going for a start in the $150,000 Grafton Services Club Grafton Cup (2350m) on July 16 to help boost the five-year-old's qualifications for the major spring races.

Smith said he would be setting Hume  for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups after the former Victorian gelding won last Saturday's Tattersall's Cup (2200m) at Eagle Farm.

While the prizemoney put Hume's owners well in the black after they paid only $22,000 for the Lloyd Williams cast off at a Gold Coast sale, the Tattersall's Cup victory did not help him meet the critical qualification clauses needed to secure a start in the Caulfield or Melbourne Cup.

However the Grafton Cup meets all distance and prizemoney requirements for the Cups double and that is enough to tempt Smith into extending his campaign as a win will help take the pressure off his spring program.

Smith also has an affinity with the Grafton carnival spanning almost 20 years.

He trained the 1991 Grafton Cup third placegetter Ecliptic and won the race in 2000 with Simigan. He has since been a frequent carnival visitor and has made unsuccessful attempts to win the last two Grafton Cups with Bikkie Tin Blues and Scattergun.

Smith, who has a great reputation for preparing stayers, was excited by Hume's potential after he recorded his fourth win since joining stable in the Tatt's Cup.

"He's only a young horse, this was his 11th start. It's amazing what he's done," he said.

A number of rivals for Hume in the Grafton Cup should emerge from the feature staying races at Rosehill and Caloundra on Saturday.

Grafton Cup possibles entered for the $100,000 Winter Cup (2400m) at Rosehill include Nuclear Sky, Twin Wing, Alexander Of Hales, Come On Cugat, Niwot, Risayla, Naadji and Prince Arthur.

Ipswich Cup winner Our Lukas, the Smith-trained Scattergun, Wagga Cup winner and Ipswich Cup runner-up Macknuckle, Rampant Lion, Cape Breton and Kerdem are among the Caloundra Cup entries who could be heading to Grafton after Saturday's race.