WITH his original plan to arrive in Queensland being derailed, astute Melbourne trainer Mick Kent has a slight reservation about Supido being at his top for Saturday’s Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Doomben.

Supido is second favourite for the Victory behind Impending after being close-up in three Melbourne Group 1 sprints this autumn.

Brisbane will be his last campaign before going to stud and Kent would dearly love to put a Group 1 win on his CV before that happens.

He picked Queensland out some time ago, given there’s three chances to win a Group 1 sprint in Brisbane, as opposed to just the Goodwood in South Australia, a race in which he ran third two years ago.

Kent had planned a flight a couple of weeks ago so he could trial Supido in Brisbane, but that failed to eventuate when the first couple of flights were cancelled.

“I waited for a plane for two weeks. I trained him as if he was flying up and they kept getting put off,” he said. “I wanted to get up there early because I didn’t want his coat turning. I was going to give him a trial and settle him in.

“It got to last Wednesday and I couldn’t wait any longer, so I put him on the road.

“So he had a big trip and he’s missed a piece of work I would have done.

“It hasn’t been ideal. He did lighten off a lot on the road trip, so he hasn’t done much work since he travelled.

“I think the run will help him a lot, settle him in and get him going again.”

If he can shake off the effects of his trip, Supido profiles like an ideal type for the Queensland sprints, having only been just behind Redkirk Warrior at Flemington.

“We think he’s a Group 1 horse but he’s always had some little issue holding him back,” Kent said. “He hurt his hock in The Galaxy last year and it reared its head again in the McEwen (Stakes). It’s come right now. He’s pulled up pretty good after each run this time.

“Things probably haven’t gone his way. He was exposed early in the Lightning. We wanted cover and never got it. It was a really hot speed and he needed the run a bit.

“In the Newmarket he was on the wrong side of the track and up on the speed again, and then he missed the break at Moonee Valley and got too far back. He’s off to stud at the end of the season.”