Now that her carefully laid plans have come unstuck, trainer Sue Grills admits she is playing a guessing game with Border Rebel's preparation for the rich Ramornie Handicap.

The Winter Dash at Randwick last Saturday week was an integral part of the seven-year-old's campaign heading to next week's feature sprint at the Grafton carnival.

Just 20 minutes before Border Rebel was due to race at Randwick, the meeting was called off and Grills and her horse were in the float heading back to Tamworth.

Border Rebel is in the field for Thursday's John Carlton Cup (1215m) at Grafton where he will have to carry 62kg.

He has also been entered for the Ascot Handicap at Eagle Farm but running there would rule him out of the Ramornie, a race Grills badly wants to win.

"I'm still not sure myself what is best," Grills said.

"I've accepted with him at Grafton on Thursday but the weight is a concern and I don't want to flatten him for the Ramornie.

"But I couldn't run him on Saturday and back him up on the Wednesday so at the moment it looks as if he will run at Grafton.

"Missing the race at Randwick has really mucked things up."

The John Carlton Cup is a non-claiming race but if Border Rebel runs he will be ridden by Grills' stable apprentice Sophie Young.

Adding to Grills' woes, she also had Border Rebel entered for the Group Three Healy Stakes in Brisbane on June 22 but opted to bring him to Sydney looking for a wetter track.

The Healy was won by Howmuchdoyouloveme, winner of the 2012 Ramornie.

The Grafton sprint is one of the jewels in the crown of country racing and a race in which Grills and Border Rebel have some unfinished business.

Border Rebel ran sixth under a big weight from a wide barrier in 2010, the same season he was named the NSW country champion racehorse.

"His whole preparation has been aimed at the Ramornie," Grills said.

"This is the race I want."