Trainer Tony Sears’s confidence that he can quinella the open handicap race at Doomben with his two runners has been shaken by a wide barrier draw for one horse and a big weight rise for the other.
Sears has had a stellar season finishing eighth on the Queensland trainers’ premiership with 58 winners.
However, it could have been even better had luck gone his way in some feature races during the winter, in particular with sprinter Pillar Of Creation.
“Talk about having no luck. Even last Saturday in the Anniversary Cup at the Sunshine Coast his (Pillar Of Creation’s) jockey Tim Bell said Pillar Of Creation got caught behind two slow horses in the middle stages and it cost him the race,” Sears said.
Pillar Of Creation has gone for a spell but Sears hopes Choice Bro and Zaha’s Ace can step up to the plate.
The pair will contest the Cargo Transport Systems Open Hcp (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Choice Bro, a multiple stakes winner in New Zealand as a younger horse, won his first Australian start in two years of trying at Doomben two weeks ago.
Zaha’s Ace ran third to Choice Bro and Sears had expected them to go close to fighting out the finish on Saturday – until the final field and barrier draw was released.
“I still think they will both race well but they have a few things against them,” he said.
“Choice Bro went up five kilograms in the weights because the race had to be scaled up two kilograms.”
“It is a big ask and I am still wondering whether to run him or wait a week.
“But he will probably go around and with James Orman claiming two kilograms, I suppose he isn’t in too bad.”
Sears said Zaha’s Ace had done well since her last start but had drawn a bad gate.
“She likes Doomben and there doesn’t appear to be much other pace in the race. But it is always a task from wide barriers,” he said.
