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By Ray Hickson

Trainer John Thompson is giving promising colt Clear Proof every chance to earn his spot in the Golden Rose later this month by avoiding the ‘big guns’ for his major lead up at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer John Thompson.

Instead of the 1200m of the Run To The Rose and a battle with the likes of Storm Boy, Bustling, Traffic Warden and company, Thompson said the Group 3 $250,000 Precise Air Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) provides the right platform.

Clear Proof won on debut at $101 then stayed at 1100m when he chased Gatsby’s home in the Listed Rosebud a month ago.

“His run was good the other day. I don’t think 1100m is his go so stepping to the 1400m, the way he races, it should suit,’’ Thompson said.

“Storm Boy is probably going to want to run them along and run them into the ground (in the Run To The Rose) so I think this race will set up nicer for him.

“He can’t beat them over 1200m but over 1400m I think he’s going to be a different horse.

“So we’ll go to that and set him up for the Golden Rose if he’s good enough.”

Thompson said while Clear Proof was unwanted on debut he felt the barrier trial form going into that race was a bit misleading and that view was confirmed when he backed it up against Gatsby’s.

“He’s a nice horse, from day one he always showed he was nice,’’ he said.

“He had four trials and three of them were on bottomless tracks and he didn’t like them at all.

“When he got to the races he got on some half decent surfaces and went a lot better.”

Tactically, Thompson said not a whole lot will change in the Ming Dynasty and expects Clear Proof to settle off the speed once again.

He showed in the Rosebud he can reel off some slick sectionals evidenced by his 33.56 final 600m (Punter's Intelligence), which was just 0.08 seconds outside the meeting best run in the same race by Gatsby’s.

“He’ll get back, that’s just his racing pattern but it should suit. The 1400m tempo will be a lot slower than in the other race,’’ he said.

“With horses that get back they always need a bit of luck but he’s a quality horse and that will take him a long way.”

Clear Proof is a $34 chance in the Group 1 $1m Golden Rose run on September 28 and was $7 with TAB on Thursday in the Ming Dynasty.

Stablemate Hellbent On You resumes in the Midway Handicap (1200m) and Thompson is expecting the mare to continue her rise through the grades this time around.

A race like the Four Pillars (1500m) on Golden Eagle Day could shape as a target given her last win was over that trip.

Clear Proof runs second at Rosehill on August 17

Thompson thought enough of the mare to give her a shot at Group 3 level in her final start in the autumn and he’s been happy with her two trials leading in.

“She went through a few grades last preparation and she’s come back and trialled well,’’ he said.

“No doubt she will improve with the run but she will run well.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Rosehill meeting