Spear-heading the quest are two last start winners in three-year-old geldings Drummed Out in the Mid Coast Automotive Group 3YO Country Plate over 1400m and newcomer to the stable, last start track and distance winner Laurentian, in the Taree Cup Weekend August 19 & 21 Benchmark 55 Handicap over 1000m.

Drummed Out has won two of its last three starts at Taree and Grafton and is on trial for the $50,000 Grafton Guineas over 1600m at the Grafton Cup Carnival on July 13.

Sprague was looking at taking Drummed Out to Rosehill Gardens on Saturday for a Highway race but decided to stay at home for what looks like an easier race.

The trainer has always had a high opinion of Drummed Out but reckons the gelding is still learning its profession.

“Drummed Out is still green…it has taken time for him to mature but it was a good effort last start to win (from barrier 10 over 1425 at Grafton on May 30),” Sprague said.

“Coming back from a spell he was over-fresh and over-raced but now he should be ready to further improve.”

Drummed Out, again to be ridden by Coffs Harbour jockey Raymond Spokes, who has been on the gelding for its past three runs, was ninth at the 400m at Grafton and rattled off a great finish to score by a length from Kempsey’s Pomme Petite and Harvard Graduate.

The Commands gelding has only had 13 starts for three wins and two seconds and has won two races at Bushland Drive Racecourse and one at the distance, its wins being on good and soft tracks.

Laurentian was having his first start for Sprague and new owners Lesley and Peter White, who paid $7500 for the galloper formerly in the stable of Warwick Farm trainer Matthew Smith, when it bolted in by 4.25 lengths over 1000m at Taree on June 3.

Race rider, Terry Treichel of Kempsey, said the gelding did a few things wrong in the run but the win showed there were more of them to come.

“It was a good debut for me and the horse pulled up well,” Sprague said.