Shangri La Spring will head towards a Queensland Derby campaign after a dominant win in the Frank Packer Plate at Randwick.

Adrian Bott, training alongside Gai Waterhouse, revealed they initially aimed for the ATC Australian Derby (2400m) with the three-year-old colt, but a delayed fitness progression led to a shift in focus. The pair is now targeting the Brisbane winter carnival.

“We thought we’d give him that option [for the ATC Derby], but it’s just taken longer to get him fit, so we changed plans,” Bott said.

After struggling in the Carbine Club Stakes (1600m), jockey Tim Clark admitted his ride was too aggressive. “It was probably a little bit my fault,” he said.

Shangri La Spring ($16) surged in the final stretch to win by three-quarters of a length over Firm Agreement ($4.40), with Plymouth ($7.50) finishing third.

Meanwhile, Swiftfalcon, the $1.90 favourite, failed to finish in the top three. “He’s probably come to the end of his prep,” said jockey Tyler Schiller.