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Queensland trainer Michael Costa is plotting a hit-and-run raid on Sydney’s carnival coffers.

Having abandoned plans to compete on the spring carnival stage in Melbourne, Michael Costa has zeroed in on the St Leger Stakes as the campaign goal for Grafton Cup winner Purrfect Deal. 

The Gold Coast trainer was hoping to take the mare to Victoria but was forced to rejig her program when she emerged from a last-start third at the Gold Coast with a bruised foot. 

Compounding the issue was a lack of flights to Melbourne, prompting Costa to concentrate on Saturday's $500,000 race at Randwick. 

"We had the St Leger pencilled in, but we would have loved to have had a perfect preparation and got her to The Bart Cummings in Melbourne," Costa said. 

"But there were no flights and she's quite a light filly, it would have been too tough on her to float her down. She is quite high maintenance as well, so it's bit difficult to hand the reins over to someone else. 

"We've just decided to have a hit-and-run mission with the St Leger and she will probably have a decent spell after this." 

Purrfect Deal is building an imposing record, winning seven of her 13 starts, highlighted by her Grafton Cup victory in July. 

While she missed a gallop at the Gold Coast on Tuesday morning due to wet weather and heads to Saturday's 2600 metre race having not competed for almost a month, Costa says she has the ability to overcome the imperfect build-up. 

"It's an unorthodox preparation but if any horse can do it, she's definitely a mare that can thrive on minimal work," he said. 

"She's still learning the caper. It has only really been last preparation where she has started to travel and be quite tractable in the run, so she's getting better with age and she know where the finishing post is as well." 

Costa has a terrific strike rate and has produced 14 winners from his past 50 runners. 

He also has a good record in bringing horses to Sydney, his last foray resulting in a Group 2 Missile Stakes win in August with Phobetor, who has subsequently been retired due to injury. 

"Placement is definitely the key. Last year we finished with the top winning strike rate in the country and we were around the top five the year before," Costa said. 

"To do that with our buying power, which is limited, was a good effort. 

"The focus this year is to increase our buying power and hopefully we can keep doing these hit-and-run missions down south."