Ric O'Shea's immediate racing future lies in the North Island after a second placing in the Marlborough Cup on Sunday.
The 6yr-old fought bravely in the 1950m feature in a race that will be remembered for David Walsh's winning ride on Willy Duggan to break Lance O'Sullivan's record of 2359 wins in New Zealand.
It was his first start for Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta and his performance at Waterlea convinced Latta to change her mind about his targets, his Palmerston owner-breeder, Andy Denham, said.
''He's actually gone to the North Island now after that race,'' Denham said.
''It wasn't the real plan but Lisa thought there are a few cups races up there, as in the Taumarunui Cup [on July 5] and a few others which we might target and see how he goes.''
The decision to place Ric O'Shea with Latta after spending his career with Wingatui trainer Steven Prince had been difficult, but Denham hoped a change of environment might spark up the 2013 White Robe Lodge Handicap winner.
''[The horse] hadn't done that well this season and we just thought we might try another direction and see if someone else could put a finger on anything,'' he said.
''Because [Latta] has got the stable in both islands [Awapuni and Riccarton], it allowed the opportunity to go north.
''The competition will be a bit stiffer - I'm not going to race him forever and a day if he's only going to get fifth or sixth. So it's just another approach might hit a button and see what he does.''
Denham said he appreciated all the work Prince had put into the son of O'Reilly and he continued to race horses with Prince, including Ric O'Shea's half-brother Red Bull.
Red Bull has experienced some problems this season but will probably head to the Wairio Racing Club meeting at Ascot Park on May 11.
''He's been lame on and off and we can't put our finger on it,'' Denham said.
''But in the last week or 10 days, Steven said he's not too bad, so he's going to race at Invercargill.
An Alamosa yearling half-brother to Ric O'Shea is being broken in by Jackie Deans after being passed in for $30,000 at the South Island sale earlier this month.
''We'll possibly might try him in the ready-to-run [sale] in November, but we'll see what happens.''
Fellowship, who is the dam of all three horses along with fellow race winners Hi Jinks (two wins), Mohaka (three wins) and Ogato (one win), is back in foal to Alamosa after a service to Alamosa last year missed.
