Trainer Kerry Parker gained special permission to have the Kembla Grange course proper opened for trackwork over the weekend so he could prepare stable star Think It Over for his Group 1 reprieve in Monday’s Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Newcastle.

“Our track is usually not open Sundays but the curator agreed to come over and open the course proper for me so I could give Think It Over and Hope In Your Heart a trot and canter,’’ Parker said.

“They needed to do some work to keep them ticking over for their Newcastle races.’’

Parker confirmed Think It Over will definitely line up in the Tancred Stakes and stablemate Hope In Your Heart contests the Group 1 $500,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (1850m).

The two Group 1 features were among seven races transferred to Newcastle on Monday after the Rosehill Gardens track became waterlogged and unsafe for racing last Saturday.

Sydney’s leading jockeys met with Racing NSW stewards after the running of the third race, the Group 3 Neville Sellwood Stakes won by Mount Popa, where it was agreed the Rosehill meeting could not continue given the track conditions.

Parker revealed he had been planning to request stewards permission to scratch Think It Over on Saturday due to the deteriorating Rosehill surface.

“When I saw how the track was after the third race we were not going to go around with Think It Over on a heavy 10,’’ Parker said.

“I was going to the stewards to scratch him from the Tancred but then I saw all the jockeys piling in there and a few minutes later the meeting was called off.’’

With The Championships due to start at Randwick on Saturday, Racing NSW and Australian Turf Club officials agreed it was imperative the remaining seven races featuring the Tancred Stakes and Vinery Stud Stakes be run as soon as possible and arranged for the venue switch to Newcastle on Monday.

This prompted Kembla Grange-based Parker to make his approach to Illawarra Turf Club officials to open the course proper on Sunday morning for Think It Over and Hope In Your Heart.

Think It Over, winner of more than $4.6m, is unproven at 2400m and is at $6.50 in latest Tancred Stakes betting behind Duais at $3 favouritism with Spanish Mission on the second line of betting at $4.80.

The trio clashed in the Australian Cup last start with Duais beating Think It Over and Spanish Mission.

Parker is confident Think It Over will run a strong 2400m and believes the venue switch to Newcastle is a boost to his gelding’s chances.

“I’m ok with the move, I think Newcastle is going to be the driest track we are going to get for a while,’’ Parker said.

With Think It Over contesting the Tancred Stakes, it gives the gelding only 12 days now to come back from 2400m to 2000m in the $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick.

Although Parker admitted this wasn’t an ideal situation for Think It Over, he still found a silver lining.

“He has less than two weeks to the Queen Elizabeth which makes it a little harder,’’ Parker said.

“But if he does not go around in the Tancred then it would have had a month between runs which I think would have made it even tougher for the horse.

“So, I’m sure he can deal with having only 12 days between runs.’’

The Vinery Stud Stakes race distance has been reduced to 1850m – Newcastle does not have a 2000m start – which doesn’t concern Parker.

“I’m still not convinced I will run this filly in the (ATC Australian) Oaks anyway,’’ Parker said.

“I will see how she deals with Newcastle, I’m taking it one race at a time with her, and the shorter trip is probably not a bad thing.

“The main focus is to try and get more black type for the owners, that would be great.’’

Hope In Your Heart, named after a line in the famous hit song You’ll Never Walk Alone from Gerry and the Pacemakers, goes into the Vinery Stud Stakes after finishing a close second to Pretty Amazing in the Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic at Goulburn.

In latest Vinery Stud Stakes betting, Pretty Amazing is at $9.50 and Hope In Your Heart rated a $21 chance behind $3.60 favourite Hinged.