Trainer Paul Messara will attack the sprint distances with his smart three year old Panzer Division during the upcoming rich Autumn Carnival.

Panzer Division will be trained as a sprinter during the Autumn Carnival, Photo by Steve Hart.

Messara admits that it was probably the wrong move to stretch Panzer Division out to 2000m during the 2014 Sydney Spring Carnival but has learned from that experience and will select races up to 1400m this campaign.

Panzer Division showed enormous potential in winning the Group 3 $125,000 Ming Dynasty Quality Handicap (1400m) at Randwick on September 6.

Messara then ran Panzer Division in the Group 1 $350,000 WFA George Main Stakes over 1600m at Randwick on September 20 where he ran a respectable fifth to Sacred Falls.

But the Redoute’s Choice colt then produced the worst run of his career when beaten over thirteen lengths when fifth to Hampton Court in the Group 1 $400,000 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on October 11.

“It is easy to look back now and say it probably wasn’t the right decision but we had to find out,” Messara told Racing Network.

“But we have learned from that and I think I’ll keep him to a sprinter this time in.

“I think 1400m is probably as far as he wants, a front-running blinkers on type of 1400m horse.”

Panzer Division without the blinkers on was given a quiet trial over 740m at Randwick today and was kept under a tight hold by James McDonald when finishing third behind Delectation and Boogie Shoes.

Well performed stablemate Scissor Kick also went around in the same trial and finished just behind the placegetters in fourth place.

Both Panzer Division and Scissor Kick are set to return to the racetrack and Messara has picked out the Group 3 $150,000 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on February 7 to kick off their Autumn Carnival campaigns.