Trainer Paul Messara is planning to give exciting sprinter Weatherly a light preparation before aiming at a Group One sprint during the autumn carnival.

Weatherly won a 900m trial at Rosehill on Monday morning, with Messara labelling the colt “top class”.

He won a trial at Scone on October 23 and Messara said he may have another hit-out before returning to competitive racing.

“He’s probably going to enter back into the benchmark scene in handicaps and see how we go from there,” Messara said.

“He’s a very good horse but he’s had a couple of little hiccups and the time of year now is difficult.”

Messara said The Galaxy over 1100m at Rosehill in March shaped as a Group One option for Weatherly.

Messara trained Weatherly’s sire, the late Beneteau, who got his first Group One winner at stud with Lasqueti Spirit’s boilover VRC Oaks (2500m) victory.

“Beneteau never got a chance to race over much further but no doubt he would have got a trip in time,” Messara said.

“I thought maybe 2000 metres as a later horse.”

Beneteau died from a neurological condition in 2013 after his second season at stud.

“It’s a shame we lost him because statistically he was going to be a top-class stallion but that’s the way it is,” Messara said.

He said Weatherly had the potential to join Lasqueti Spirit as one of Beneteau’s best offspring.

“It’s just a matter of the horse staying sound,” he said.

Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au