A barrier trial will determine whether Charmed Harmony takes his place in the $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap.
Trainer John Sadler said the sprinter needed to perform well in the hit-out at Eagle Farm on Thursday to confirm a start in the Group One sprint at the track on June 11.
Charmed Harmony ran last in the BRC Sprint on May 21 at Doomben, a track Sadler said he failed to handle.
But the Melbourne trainer, who won the Stradbroke three years ago with Linton, is hopeful racing at Eagle Farm will bring a turnaround in the gelding’s fortunes.
“We’ll give him a solid hit-out on Thursday and that will determine whether he runs in the Stradbroke,” Sadler said.
“He lugged out the whole way the other day at Doomben and his two worst runs have been when he’s gone the reverse way.
“Maybe he just doesn’t handle racing that way, so we’ll see what happens in the trial.
“If he doesn’t run in the Stradbroke he can have two or three weeks off in the warmer weather in Queensland and then come back down for the spring.”
Eight of Charmed Harmony’s 13 wins have come over the 1400 metres of the Stradbroke.
One of those wins came at Caulfield, his home track, two starts ago following a close second to subsequent Group One Goodwood winner Black Heart Bart at Group Three level in March.
Charmed Harmony is a $51 chance in the Stradbroke with Azkadellia heading the market at $4.60 ahead of Black Heart Bart at $6.
The Ciaron Maher-trained Azkadellia ran second to Music Magnate in Saturday’s Doomben 10,000, her first start since she won the Group One Queen Of The Turf Stakes in Sydney on April 9.
