If trainer Les Kelly could ask for an early Christmas present it would be a dry track for Skating On Ice at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Skating On Ice will bid for her first black-type victory in the Listed Just Now Quality (1300m) but Kelly fears further rain could thwart her chances.
“We had a lot of rain down here on the Gold Coast last night and a wet track is the last thing she needs,” Kelly said.
“Once she gets past a dead track she’s not as effective and I’m just hoping Brisbane misses the rain we’ve had.”
Eagle Farm was rated a slow (6) on Wednesday and is expected to improve rapidly if fine weather prevails.
Kelly is in the midst of a remarkable run with his small team of seven horses in work.
Despite his lack of numbers, Kelly landed his fifth metropolitan winner since the start of November when exciting prospect Alltherightmoves was successful at Doomben last Saturday.
“I’ve only got seven horses racing and a few babies I’m educating but it’s been a good month and I think I’ve trained about 11 winners this season,” Kelly said.
Kelly believes Skating On Ice will be at her peak for the Just Now Quality, her fourth run this campaign.
“She’ll be right at her top for the Just Now and she’ll go on after that into the Goldmarket Handicap,” Kelly said.
The Listed Goldmarket Handicap (1300m) will be run on her home track at the Gold Coast on January 2.
Glen Colless, who is chasing his third consecutive win on the daughter of Bradbury’s Luck, has been retained.
Kelly expects to have a strong hand with stablemates Double Image and Alltherightmoves joining Skating On Ice for next year’s Brisbane winter carnival.
“I think Skating On Ice is an ideal type for the (Group One) Winter Stakes,” he said.
“I’ve got no doubts she can run 1600 metres and the 1400 metres of the Winter Stakes is perfect for her.”
Double Image has won four of his eight starts but blotted his record with a dismal last to Adebisi at Eagle Farm last month.
“We discovered later that he had a spur break off from the outside of his knee and he’s had an operation to remove it,” Kelly said.
“He’ll be out of action for four months but it won’t affect him racing and he’ll be back in time for the winter.”
Kelly was also contemplating aiming Alltherightmoves for the Goldmarket but has decided to spell the four-year-old mare after she registered her sixth straight win from only seven appearances with her latest victory.
AAP TURF
