Kid Columbus is being given a short spell by his Omakau trainer, Murray Hamilton. He will bypass the Great Northern Hurdles next month.
The New Zealand Cup is a logical target, as he has won over the distance, Hamilton said.
Kid Columbus won over the Cup distance, 3200m, at Wingatui last November. He ran fifth over 2500m at Riccarton at his next start.
He has now won nine races, including three over hurdles for Hamilton and co-owners Ivan McNicholl and Pat Baker, of Wellington, and Russell Nieper, of Dunedin.
Mr Nieper is the owner of Franco Emirate, who is being aimed at the New Zealand Cup at Addington in November.
Franco Emirate has won 13 of his 18 starts and achieved success in the Harness Jewels and NZ Messenger last season.
Kid Columbus was among four of the progeny of stallion Colombia that Hamilton bought in a package deal for $5000 from Waikato breeder Sean Fitzgerald early in 2008.
Te Aroha agent Brian Hedley alerted Hamilton to the availability of the quartet.
Hamilton had secured other horses from Fitzgerald, including Hello And Goodbye, who entered the stable as an unraced 3yr-old in 2003.
The Danzalion-Eight Kumara gelding was sold to Singapore after placing in two of his three starts. Hello And Goodbye won the $S800,000 Singapore Derby in 2005 when trained by Bruce Marsh.
Kid Columbus was a 4yr-old unplaced in five starts when he joined Hamilton.
He has raced 45 times for Hamilton for nine wins and 11 placings and $100,787 in stakes.
McNicholl, who had raced horses with Hamilton when the latter trained standardbreds, came into the ownership of Kid Columbus along with his Wellington friend, Pat Baker. Nieper took a share. He had horses with Hamilton, but they needed more time to develop.
Colombia, the sire of Kid Columbus, has also left Sterling Prince, winner of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington, and Valley Chief (Hawkes Bay Cup). He is by Zabeel from Eight Carat and thus a brother of Octagonal.
Kid Columbus is the fifth foal of his dam, Day Care, an unraced mare by So Vain from Society Lass, by Koiro Trelay, winner of the NZ and Wellington Cups in the 1980-81 season.
Society Lass is a great-granddaughter of Silver Coin, a half sister by Siegfried to champion Kindergarten and Golden Souvenir, both raced by Ned Fitzgerald, of Gisborne.
Kindergarten won 25 of his 35 starts. The son of Kincardine won the 1941 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie as a 3yr-old with 61.5kg and repeated the following year with 65kg.
He won the Wellington Cup as a 3yr-old and the 1942 Auckland Cup with 64.5kg. He won the Canterbury Gold Cup twice.
Golden Souvenir (by Lang Bian) dead-heated with Soneri in the 1946 Canterbury Gold Cup, the year after he won the New Zealand Cup. He also won a Wellington Cup.
