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Trainer Les Ross has his name etched twice on the QTIS premiership honour board for two-year-olds and he’s well on the way to making it three this season.
Les Ross won the two-year-old premiership the first time in 2015 and is the reigning champion trainer of juveniles after claiming his second crown last season.
Passing the half way mark of the season, Ross has a firm hold on the two-year-old title again but is under pressure to claim the three-year-old crown for the first time with Desleigh Forster his biggest threat.
However, the Eagle Farm trainer hopes to take advantage of Forster's absence when he saddles up Sizzling River at Doomben on Wednesday.
The son of Sizzling will be stepping in distance to 1615 metres for the first time in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Benchmark 65 Handicap.
Sizzling River was a last start maiden winner for apprentice Sheridan Tomlinson over 1350 metres at Ipswich on February 3.
"He's a nice horse but he's been late maturing," Ross said.
"He's just coming good and hopefully he can win again.
"Alex Patis rode him well when he ran fourth at Ipswich two runs back then my apprentice Sheridan Tomlinson rode a brilliant race to win on him last start."
Tomlinson has retained the mount on Sizzling River, who stormed home from near last on the home turn to break his maiden status over 1350 metres at Ipswich on February 3.
Sizzling River is a son of Group 1 winning sire Sizzling out of the dual Adelaide-winning mare Royal Yangtze, making him a half-brother to Ross' former top sprinter River Racer.
River Racer won six races and almost $840,000 in prizemoney during her career including the Listed Glasshouse Handicap at the Sunshine Coast in 2019.
"River Racer was the best of the crop out of her mother and her other foals haven't lived up to him," Ross said.
"But Sizzling River is coming along well and I'll be disappointed if he doesn't run another big race.
"While I'm in front in the QTIS premiership for the two-year-olds, I'm hoping to go well with the three-year-olds as well."
