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Bargain buy Short Nap will make the long road trip south for next month’s 3YO QTIS Jewel at the Gold Coast if he wins in Cairns on Monday.
Short Nap, who tackles the QTIS Jewel qualifier, was a $700 buy at an online auction and returned his purchase price at his first start when he ran second in an Atherton maiden last month for the father and son training partnership of Trevor and Peter Rowe.
"I'd be mad not to have a go at the QTIS Jewel Final as it's a $500,000 race," co-trainer Trevor Rowe said.
"I got him online for 700 bucks off Tommy Button who had him previously.
"Tommy only had him for two starts and the owners were disappointed with him so they sold him."
Short Nap - a Graham Kliese mount - started his career at the Gold Coast with Button and Ryan Tyrell who were co-trainers before the pair went separate ways.
A son of UK sire Power, Short Nap finished second in his stable debut in maiden company over 1000 metres at Atherton last month before another second placing in an 1100 metre maiden on a heavy track at Innisfail on February 3.
The Rowes had planned to give Short Nap his first start for the stable at Ewan in September last year but he was hurt and was a late scratching.
"The horse next him to in the barriers went off and kicked him so he had to be scratched," Trevor said.
"His injury was bad enough for him to have to spell.
"He's had two starts for us now and both were excellent and he should nearly have won last start at Innisfail."
Meanwhile, rejuvenated sprinter King Jester will attempt a career equalling fourth straight win in the Open Handicap on Monday.
King Jester will tackle a small but strong field in the Open Handicap over 950 metres which includes the consistent Bold Type, who received top weight of 61kgs.
King Jester - now a five-year-old - has turned the clock back to his star three-year-old days when his trainer Rodney Miller toyed with sending the son of Hallowed Crown south for a shot at the QTIS Jewel Final.
The FNQ galloper earned a chance to target the QTIS Jewel that year after completing a hat-trick of wins at Cairns in February of 2022 but Miller baulked at making the long haul south.
King Jester has won three straight this campaign since resuming with a seventh in a 950 metre Benchmark race at Cannon Park on December 23.
