Warwick Farm trainer Matthew Dunn is confident Subterranean will take the first step on the path to the Spring Champion Stakes when the horse travels to Kembla Grange on Saturday.
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The colt will contest the Group 3 Up and Coming Stakes at the metropolitan meeting that has been moved to the Illawarra as a result of Greater Sydney's COVID outbreak.
For Dunn's charge, the event is a return to racing after a successful Queensland winter campaign.
Subterranean won the Group 3 Ken Russell and finished fifth in the Group 1 JJ Atkins, and the trainer is confident he will enjoy more success as a three-year-old.
"He had a short break after the winter and is in great shape," Dunn said.
"He'll try to go through to the Spring Champion Stakes, so this is not his grand final, but he's fit enough to run well."
Alongside Subterranean on the list of nominations for the race for three-year-olds are Snowden pair Revivalist and Construct, the latter having won a maiden at Kembla last Thursday.
Also slated to run are Pago Pago runner-up Tiger Of Malay and undefeated Waterhouse gelding Silent Impact.
Bjorn Baker has nominated Maurice's Medad, however the trainer said the colt will likely sit the race out.
Baker is, however, eyeing the 1400m Spring Preview Handicap for grey duo Frosty Rocks and Fun Fact.
It's a race that's set to feature former Gwenda Markwell gelding and 2020 The Gong winner Archedemus.
Baker is eyeing stakes races for his pair this spring, Frosty Rocks winning first-up at Rosehill last start.
For Fun Fact, the 1400m contest marks a return to racing after undergoing fetlock surgery. The gelding won last year's 2600m St Leger and the trainer is confident he can recapture that form.
"It's a dual grey attack," Baker said. "Frosty Rocks is in great order. We'll take him step by step and see where we get to, I'd like to think we'll look for a stakes race or two during the carnival.
"Fun Fact has had a long time off and this race will be short of his best. He won last year over 2600m so he won't be a force until he gets over that trip. We're looking at the Metropolitan and the St Leger for him."
Early nominations indicate the Kembla stables will be well-represented, with 11 locally-trained horses entered, though some may not get a start.
Fresh off a Midway win on Saturday, Markwell's Gemmahra is set to contest a 2000m BenchMark 78, alongside Joe Ible's Sepulchre.
Markwell also has Either Oar nominated for a Benchmark 72 1200m race and the Midway, with the stable yet to decide if she will step out.
Also entered into the Midway are Theresa Bateup's Real Key and River Charge, and Robert and Luke Price's Shapur and Young Heart.
The horses are two of five Price runners nominated for the meeting, with Yugosphere, Noble Soldier and in-form veteran Cuban Royale all scheduled to line up on Saturday.
Finally, Brett Lazzarini's Wild Chap has been entered in a 1400m race.