A day after her dominant win at Doomben, new Stradbroke Handicap favourite Najoom has been found to have a slight injury to her near foreleg.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained filly gained automatic entry to Brisbane’s premier sprint by winning Saturday’s Fred Best Classic.
Although bookmakers immediately elevated her to the top of the Stradbroke market, connections would have to pay a late entry by Wednesday if she was to run.
Her win dented the hopes of runner-up Miss Cover Girl gaining a Stradbroke start.
Miss Cover Girl’s trainer Kelly Schweida now has to play a waiting game with the filly’s earnings of $395,000 putting her on the borderline to make the field.
“Three year old fillies have a very good record in the Stradbroke,” Schweida said.
“But I don’t think we can make the field now. She needed to get the exemption and ran into a very good filly.”
Schweida said at least Miss cover Girl’s run on Saturday had confirmed she should be ridden back in the field and allowed to run home.
At her two previous runs she had been ridden for pace.
“I know she won the P J Bell in Sydney leading but that was a wet track and there was no other leader,” he said.
“I have no doubt she is better back in the field.”
Another three-year-old filly, Lumosty, is the second favourite for the Stradbroke (1350m) at Doomben on June 6 but she is also not guaranteed a start.
Trained by Robert Smerdon, Lumosty scored a dominant win at Flemington on Saturday.
Smerdon will take her to Queensland and id she doesn’t get into the Stradbroke, Lumosty will run in the Dane Ripper Stakes ahead of the Group One Tatt’s Tiara.
