Winter Championship plans for Costa In The Glen remain uncertain with trainer Kelvin Bourke cautious about committing the injury-prone gelding to the series.
The seven-year-old will line up in Saturday’s 1400 metre second heat of the series at Flemington but Bourke is unsure whether he will make it to the $152,000 Listed Final (1600m) on July 7.
“He will run on Saturday and we will see how he is going after that,” Bourke said.
Bourke added that while Costa In The Glen was over his tendon and feet trouble, which robbed him of 19 months of racing from October 2009 to May last year, he didn’t want to risk him on badly rain-affected tracks.
“I’m not sure he is a real wet tracker and I wouldn’t run him if the tracks were bad anyway as horses with leg problems really need reasonable ground,” Bourke said.
Costa In The Glen should get ideal conditions at Flemington and has run encouraging races at his past two starts when on interstate missions.
Coming off a let-up, he was beaten a neck when charging home from last for third to Glacial Miss at Morphettville on April 14 and last start again produced his trademark whirlwind finish when fifth to Adamon in the Wagga Town Plate on May 3.
“I took him up to Wagga last start thinking that if he can run 1:10 and a touch for the 1200 metres he might be a winning chance but they ran 1:8.9,” Bourke said.
“He was beaten three lengths but he was still getting home over the top of them, bar the winner.
“He will get back a bit again at Flemington as that is how he races, and so long as they can make ground on that track he should acquit himself well.”
Costa In The Glen has won five of his 16 starts, his most recent victory coming at Sandown in January.
He is at $17 in an open TAB Sportsbet market for Saturday’s event with Adamantium the $5 favourite.
