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By John Curtis

Kerry Parker says this preparation is all about Flying Bandit ($5.50 on TAB) letting him know his distance range.

It’s first things first with the four-time Group 1-winning Kembla Grange trainer, who has an important date at Royal Randwick on Saturday with stablemate Well Timed contesting the $1m Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m).

Parker just missed out qualifying Flying Bandit for the PMC Final when he resumed and made up a stack of ground to finish third to Imposant and Vintage Choice at home over 1400m on March 22.

Flying Bandit (Jay Ford) in winning form at Hawkesbury. Image by Bradley Photographers

So he takes his talented four-year-old back to Hawkesbury for the midweek metropolitan meeting tomorrow and steps him up in distance to chase his fifth win at his 10th start in the St Johns Park Bowling Club Benchmark 78 Handicap (1800m).

“The jockeys who ride Flying Bandit keep saying he is an out and out stayer,” Parker said this morning. “But I’m not yet convinced.

“We’ll let him tell us what distance he wants to get to, and this preparation is also about getting his benchmark rating up with an eye to the spring.”

Flying Bandit has quickly proven a bargain buy; the son of Trapeze Artist having been secured for only $20,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions Adelaide yearling sale.

“I liked what I saw when he arrived,” Parker recalled. “I said to Proven Thoroughbreds’ Jamie Walter that I wouldn’t have been any more pleased if he had cost $200,000.”

Parker is happy with Flying Bandit’s progress, and looking forward to the gelding’s Hawkesbury assignment: “He has had three starts there and raced well every time,” he said.

“Flying Bandit made his debut at Hawkesbury well into his three-year-old season in March last year, and closed off well on the extreme outside of the track to finish seventh in an unsuitable 1100m Provincial Maiden Plate.

“He won his next two starts at Goulburn and Kembla Grange and resumed after a break in September to run a close second over 1400m.

“Flying Bandit went back to Hawkesbury in October and won a Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (2000m) with 59kg.”

Parker’s slight concern tomorrow is that his gelding has drawn barrier two in a field of 14 with the rail out 4m.

“Flying Bandit gets dour pretty quickly and will get back, but Jay Ford returns as his rider and knows him well (having been aboard in all four wins from five rides)."

Parker gave Well Timed ($11 on TAB for the Final) his final workout this morning ahead of Saturday’s PMC Final: “He worked alone and went off from the 1000m and finished off nicely,” he said.

“He is as good as gold and ready to go on Saturday, especially getting back to Randwick, where his form is excellent.”

Parker has completely disregarded Well Timed’s last in a Benchmark 88 Handicap (1400m) on a wet Rosehill Gardens surface on April 1.

Parker celebrated his greatest triumph at the same meeting two years ago when Well Timed’s rider Nash Rawiller daringly skirted wide in the straight to snare the $4m Gr 1-Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) on his now retired champ Think It Over on a Heavy 10 surface.

“The Provincial-Midway Final isn’t a Group 1, but it’s still worth $1m and definitely a race I would like to win,” he said.

Hawkesbury trainer Ed O’Rourke this morning was unsure whether new acquisition House Of Cards (Tyler Schiller-$8.50) would line up in tomorrow’s Clarendon Tavern Benchmark 72 Handicap (1500m).

The four-year-old, who has won three of his 11 starts, drew barrier 20 in a capacity field of 16 plus five reserves.

“A client of mine bought House Of Cards online early last month for $115,000,” O’Rourke said. “I’ll decide later today whether to run tomorrow. There are a few options coming up if we bypass this race.”

The rail is in the same position as it was for last Saturday’s provincial meeting; out 4m from the 110m to 450m, and in the TRUE position for the remainder of the circuit.

Racecourse manager Digby Nuthall at 8am today posted a Good 4 rating. There had been no rainfall up to that time, and only 4mm of irrigation has been pot on the track in the past seven days, but nil in the previous 24 hours.

The eight-race card begins at 12.50pm and concludes at 4.55pm.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Hawkesbury here