With his team worn down to the fingernails, John Size's final push for the championship title on the weekend features a black booker from Tuesday in Grand Plus.

The three-year-old has registered three placings from his eight starts, but should have changed that form line with a win on the all-weather this week instead of finishing fourth to Novel Start.

He got an early squeeze, but found his position quickly again, then got on heels briefly turning into the straight, however, it was the run down the stretch that put paid to his chances.

Grand Plus has been a slow learner and switching to the dirt, and more evenly paced races, seems to have helped with his early overracing habits

Room was tight as the winner rolled out slightly with Hurry Hurry Up and Confucius Flyer holding their ground on the youngster's outside and he was bounced around like a pinball in the final 200m.

With clear running, he was likely to have bridged his final margin of defeat, just over a length, to get his maiden win.

Grand Plus has been a slow learner and switching to the dirt, and more evenly paced races, seems to have helped with his early overracing habits.

On Sunday, he is back to the turf and 1,400m, so those changes of surface and pace could bring him undone and leave him a work in progress again for early next term, but the field is not overburdened with talent and he obviously has taken no harm from his run midweek.

The other black booker is also a three-year-old, Good Fit, who chased home well behind promising Faster More, getting by most of the field in the final 400m.

Once again, there were no pluses on Tuesday to being out the back early, with almost all of the races moderately paced, and Good Fit was slow to begin as he has been every start now.

While the winner was getting a dream rails run, Good Fit had to come around almost the whole field and knuckled down well at his mile debut.

By Encosta De Lago, he is going to be better at four and, if Michael Chang Chun-wai can sort out his getaways, Good Fit is going to start the season nicely rated for a youngster with upside.

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