Being booted from a cargo plane bound for Brisbane means Streets Of Avalon will instead take his place in a race at Flemington.
Streets Of Avalon was second emergency for Saturday’s Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm with a back-up option of the Hinkler Handicap, but instead he will head to Flemington for the Henry Bolte Handicap.
Trainer Shane Nichols had Streets Of Avalon booked on a Brisbane flight on Tuesday, but with uncertainty over whether the gelding would get a start in the Stradbroke Handicap field he elected to hold off for Thursday night.
“We didn’t think it was right to go up Tuesday but when all those horses dropped out of the Stradbroke we decided to accept in both races and go up on Thursday night,” Nichols said.
“But they bumped us off because there was too much cargo.
“The plan was to go up and run in Stradbroke. The other race was only an emergency thing.”
Nichols said if Streets Of Avalon runs well on Saturday he could head to Queensland for the Glasshouse Handicap at the Sunshine Coast on June 29 or be given a short break to concentrate on the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and Toorak Handicap at Caulfield in the spring.
Streets Of Avalon has not raced since winning the Victoria Handicap at Caulfield on April 20.
“He had a couple of weeks off and has done a bit at home,” Nichols said.
“Mornington put on a jump-out for us the reverse way which was very good of them.
“Pat Carey had one he wanted to go that way and we put a couple of rabbits in and gave them a good trial.”
Nichols said Streets Of Avalon was forward enough to run an honest race on Saturday although he was worried by the 59kg after the claim for Lachie King.
“I reckon 57 kilos is about the top end of his winning weight, Nichols said.
“He’s well in himself but he’s got to have improved to beat them with 59 kilos.”
