A tough barrier draw in Sydney and the lure of a $300,000 purse in Brisbane have prompted Kris Lees to shift plans with progressive four-year-old Tasoraay.

The gelding held dual acceptances this weekend, but after drawing barrier 20 in the Saddles @ Mount White Handicap (1400m) at Randwick, Lees confirmed he would instead head to Eagle Farm for Saturday’s running of The Gateway (1400m).

“We will send him up. It’s good prizemoney and he’s in form,” Lees said.

“He drew wide in Sydney, so we’ll give him his chance up there.”

Tasoraay has won three of his 11 starts, including his last outing when carrying 60kg to a gritty 1250m victory at Canterbury.

His racing profile closely mirrors that of former stablemate Dream Hour, who captured The Gateway at double-figure odds two years ago.

Dream Hour later campaigned in the Provincial-Midway Championships but fell short of making the final, and Lees hopes Tasoraay can progress further.

“He will probably have a freshen after this and prepare for the Provincial Championships. He profiles like one of those type of horses,” Lees said.

Victory in The Gateway also delivers an automatic berth in the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in June, a race Dream Hour contested last year when finishing ninth.

Lees isn’t looking that far ahead yet, but admits a free ticket would be hard to ignore.

“We won it a couple of years ago with Dream Hour and we went that way,” he said.

“We will see. It’s a big jump from this race to a Stradbroke, but with a free ticket, you’d have to consider it.”

Tasoraay is priced at $23 in early betting, with Tony Gollan’s Boomtown Boss the $2.70 favourite.

Punters assessing The Gateway can compare markets at Australia’s leading betting sites.