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Canberra gelding earns one final start before spell ahead of The Kosciuszko assault
Tackling Saturday's $150,000 Schweppes Handicap at Rosehill was not part of Matthew Kelley's initial plan with I'Ve Bean Tryin'', but the ever-improving gelding virtually demanded a crack at it.
The four-year-old son of Spill The Beans will therefore have one last run for the campaign in the 1500-metre benchmark 78 event, for which he favourite.
Canberra-based Kelley intended to spell his stable star after The Coast at Gosford, in which he finished sixth, until he came through that $500,000 race so well.
"After a race like that I'll jump on his back for a day or two to make sure he's all good, then put him in the paddock and just make sure everything's in tip-top shape before he goes out, but he just felt immaculate after the run," Kelley said.
"He never lost any condition and mentally he was just so switched on, so I had a discussion with the owners and said, 'I think he's going too good to tip him out'.
"It's minus two and three (degrees) in Canberra at night time, so I thought why not keep him rugged up and warm in the stables here and give him one more run because he's mentally ready for another run."
I've Bean Tryin' drew barrier 11 for Saturday's 15-horse event, his seventh run of a campaign that includes two wins and a $500,000 Country Championships Final third placing, and will carry 58.5kg after Dylan Gibbons' 1.5kg claim.
"He's never drawn a (good) barrier in his life, so he only knows that type of alley," Kelley said.
"We're just going to ride him wherever he's comfortable. If we can slot into a good position midfield that'd be ideal, but he'll drop the bridle and relax midrace and his last 600 will be as strong as ever."
Win, lose or draw I've Bean Tryin' will go to the paddock after Saturday's race with Kelley's sights then shifting towards having him ready for a first-up tilt at the $2 million The Kosciuszko (1200m) on October 14.
"He'll have seven or eight weeks in the paddock and then he'll come back and he'll be aimed at The Kosciuszko first-up and we'll come up with a bit of a game plan after that," Kelley said.
"The world's his oyster at the moment. He's only going to get better after another spell, he proved that this preparation with how much he's improved from last prep. He's a horse on the up."
