A Group Two at Eagle Farm is the preference over a Randwick juvenile race for Wild Ruler who could press his claims for the Group One JJ Atkins.

The Snowden Racing stable has two-year-old Wild Ruler nominated for the Champagne Classic (1200m) at Eagle Farm in Brisbane on Saturday as well as a 1300m race on his home track at Randwick.

Co-trainer Peter Snowden confirmed the plan was for the colt to leave Sydney on Wednesday night to run in the Champagne Classic.

The race is set to provide a pointer to the final Group One race for two-year-olds in Australia this season, the JJ Atkins (1400m) at the same track two weeks later.

“It’s there for him if he runs well enough,” Snowden said of a potential JJ Atkins tilt.

“We’ll just get through Saturday first but if he’s going well, timing-wise it’s two weeks into that.

“So we’ll just have to see what he does Saturday.”

Saturday’s Randwick juvenile race could also provide a launching pad for JJ Atkins Stakes contenders, with 18 of the 21 nominations for the Sydney race also entered for the Brisbane Group One.

Wild Ruler won the $500,000 Inglis Nursery at Randwick on debut in December before resuming from a spell with a close second to subsequent stakes-winning filly Macroura over 1000m on the Kensington track on May 2, carrying 5kg more than the winner.

Snowden said the colt had improved from his first-up run and was kept up to the mark with a barrier trial win at Randwick last Friday.

“He’s in good order and he’ll be running well on Saturday,” Snowden said.

Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au