Although he is giving away experience to his rivals, Boyce Road will lose nothing in ability when he lines up from box eight in Saturday night's Group 1 Sportingbet Paws Of Thunder at Wentworth Park.
With the field now reduced to seven starters following the scratchings of Double Twist, Allen Malik and National Time, and a lot of speed drawn inside him, if there is tightening going into the first turn then the Mark Gatt-trained chaser will come right into contention.
"I'm just hoping if there is some tightening early Boyce Road might get the fly because he will stay out going into the turn," Gatt said.
"After that he'll go where he needs to go. He's only a young dog and is still learning, but he is starting to use his brain a bit in races."
It is hard to believe that only 11 weeks ago Boyce Road (pictured) was winning his maiden at Richmond, and that he was having only his tenth start in last weekend's Paws Of Thunder heat.
"He has come a long way in a short time to now be in a Group 1 final," Gatt said.
"To be honest I didn't intend to enter him in the series. I nominated him for a fifth grade race at Wentworth Park and he ended up in a prelude, and he won that so I thought I may as well enter him for the heats because he was guaranteed a start.
"I guess I don't really expect him to win, but he's there and anything can happen."
Although he lacks the box speed of his rivals on Saturday night, Boyce Road is a hard chaser and very strong at the finish.
Gatt said the Eddie Kingswell-owned chaser pulled up well after his heat win and he has decided to keep him fresh for Saturday night's $100,000 to-the-winner showcase event.
"Everything is perfect with him and I have decided to keep him nice and fresh which I don't usually do with my dogs," he said.
"I've kept him on the lead all week because he is only a young dog and he had a hard run last week, even though he pulled up really good.
"I'm just happy to have him in the race and I hope he gets around safely and then he'll go to the heats of the National Derby at The Gardens (January 24)."
