The cancellation of a set of barrier trials has caused scheduling problems for many trainers including Joe Pride whose hopes of running Trois Choix at Randwick have been dashed.
Pride had planned to run her in a heat on Monday at Warwick Farm ahead of the 1400-metre race for fillies and mares on Saturday.
But the lack of a transport ambulance at the track forced Racing NSW stewards to call the trials off after one heat, leaving Trois Choix in limbo.
“The trials had already been transferred from last week because of the wet so that’s a setback already,” Pride said.
“I had planned to trial Trois Choix today and run her on Saturday.
“They’ve rescheduled the trials for Thursday and I will put Trois Choix in, but then she won’t back up at Randwick.”
One horse from the stable that will run at Randwick is the speedy Diamond Oasis, a last-start winner of the Bat Out Of Hell (900m) at the Gold Coast on Boxing Day.
The five-year-old was one of six entries taken on Monday for the Summer Sprint (1000m).
“This is an ideal assignment for him,” Pride said.
“He is a great 1000-metre horse. He is just below the top rung so there aren’t too many options for him.
“The Group One horses are too good for him and there aren’t many 1000 metres races.”
James McDonald will ride Diamond Oasis who has seven wins and eight places from his 25 starts.
He beat Fab Fevola to win a 955m-race against the clock at Moonee Valley and has also been placed twice in the specialist night racing events when third behind Group One performer Platelet and second to Tawteen.
Stakes winner Big Money heads the ratings for the Randwick sprint on 104 for what will be his first start since his respectable midfield finish in the Group One Stradbroke Handicap won by Srikandi.
