A horror barrier and a likely heavy track haven’t scared off trainer Col Williamson who has declared Just About Ready a definite starter in the Hardy Brothers Jewellers Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Just About Ready has drawn barrier 21 but will come in to 16 if the emergencies fail to secure a run in the 1200-metre three-year-old race.
“I’ve got to look on the bright side and at least he won’t get any interference from outside him,” Williamson said.
“He’s won on a slow track and he ploughs through the wet well.”
Eagle Farm was rated slow on Friday but a downgrade is likely with further rain forecast.
Williamson trains Just About Ready for owners Graham and Linda Huddy who won last year’s Group One AJC Australian Derby at Randwick with the John Wallace-trained Shoot Out.
Shoot Out is gearing up for next month’s Group One TJ Smith and All-Aged Stakes at Randwick before returning for the Group Two Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast and Group One Doomben Cup in May.
Williamson sent Just About Ready to Sydney for the Group One Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick last October but admitted it was aiming too high to head interstate with the son of More Than Ready who finished 10th to Erewhon.
“It was a bit over the top but I’d never had a runner at Randwick and the Huddys like to take their horses away,” Williamson said.
“I still think he’s a very good three-year-old and he’ll be a lot better once he learns to settle.
“He still pulls in his races but if he can learn to settle he’ll win over 2000 metres easily.”
Just About Ready, a Damian Browne mount, made his comeback this campaign with a fast-finishing fourth to Mondean in a class four at Caloundra last month.
“It was a good run but they went quicker than last week’s pay up front,” Williamson said.
“He hit the line strongly which was the thing that mattered most.”
Williamson is hopeful Just About Ready, a four-time winner from 14 starts, will measure up to the top three-year-old races during the Brisbane winter carnival.
“I think the Queensland Guineas would be an ideal race for him at this stage of his career,” he said.
“But if he happened to settle then he could head towards the Queensland Derby.”
The Group Two Queensland Guineas (1600m) and Group One Queensland Derby (2400m) will both be run at Eagle Farm on June 11.
AAP TURF
