Fresh off his Kindergarten Stakes win, Chiggsy was back at the Ashburton trials on Tuesday, not to impress but simply to keep the wheels turning ahead of a much bigger assignment later this month.

The two-year-old, raced by Off n Racing Syndications, is being aimed toward the Group 1 Diamond Creek Farm / SBSR Classic at Ascot Park in Invercargill on April 26, and Tuesday’s outing was just another quiet step along that path.

With Blair Orange in the cart, Chiggsy settled at the back and worked home evenly, doing exactly what was asked of him without any fuss.

Orange summed it up in typical fashion afterwards.

“Happy.”

That was about all that needed to be said.

It wasn’t about catching the eye.

It wasn’t meant to.

“He was basically here just for a trip away from home. He ticked the boxes and all eyes are on next Sunday,” co-trainer Hayden Cullen said.

That’s been the key theme since his Kindergarten Stakes win, keeping things simple, keeping him happy, and making sure he comes through it all in the right order.

So far, so good.

The trial confirmed what the stable needed to see. He’s come through his win well, travelled away, behaved himself, and finished off his work without being asked for anything more.

While the trial itself was low key, the build up to next week’s Group 1 is anything but, particularly for the ownership group behind the colt.

Andrew Fitzgerald of Off n Racing Syndications is expecting a strong turnout on course.

“There should be a decent crew on course next week, we’ve got a bunch from Dunedin, a truckload from Nelson and a few North Islanders flying in too which will be great, it’s what Harness Racing is all about,” he said.

“To select, purchase and then syndicate a colt who lines up as a 2YO is always a goal when you go to the sales. For him to win the Kindergarten and be aiming at a Group 1 is a dream.

“We’ve had the odd Group 1 runner, and Queen Of Swords placed third in a Group 1 as a 3YO, but like everyone, you’d love to win one.”

That next Sunday now becomes the focus.

The Group 1 Diamond Creek Farm / SBSR Classic at Ascot Park Raceway is shaping as a proper test, with a handy field assembling for one of the more important juvenile races on the calendar.

But that’s next week’s conversation.

For now, it was just about ticking a box at Ashburton, and Chiggsy did exactly that.

Quietly.

Just the way his trainers would have wanted.