Trainer Liam Birchley struggles to remember one of his horses who has had a more disrupted preparation than stakes winner Fit For Purpose.
The gelding will be attempting to win back-to-back Listed Tattersall’s Mile at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
After Fit For Purpose won last year’s Tattersall’s Mile, Birchley felt he might have a genuine winter carnival stakes horse on his hands.
He gave Fit For Purpose a light summer campaign and then set him for the winter which included a tilt at the Group One Doomben Cup.
Things looked on course when Fit For Purpose was a strong finishing fourth at Doomben at his first run from a spell.
“But after that we had nothing but bad luck with heavy tracks and bad barriers,” Birchley said.
“He did run third in the Tails Stakes on a bog track but even then he struggled a bit.
“We got him into the Hollindale Cup at the start of the carnival and he got a shocking barrier and a heavy track.
“He got knocked around a bit so we scrapped the Doomben Cup idea and brought him back to 1600 metre races.”
Birchley said the bad luck continued with poor barriers and wet tracks.
“Even the one day he drew barrier one at Eagle Farm the placegetters were coming deep on the track,” he said.
“His last start was when he ended up finishing midfield in the Rockhampton Cup and a few form blokes have said they thought he was going well enough to win at the top of the straight.
“But again the track proved too heavy for him.”
Birchley believes Fit For Purpose might finally have things to suit on Saturday.
“He has a light weight, the track should be good, and it is the right distance for him,” he said.
“If he gets beaten again at least there should be no excuses.”
