Sydney sprinter Ball Of Muscle is a doubtful Stradbroke Handicap starter despite winning at Doomben on Saturday.
A decision on a Stradbroke start for Ball of Muscle is important for the connections of ruling favourite Lumosty who is rated a borderline chance of making the field.
Ball Of Muscle
Sent out favourite, Ball Of Muscle ($3.30) beat the ballot for the Stradbroke with a neck win over That’s A Good Idea ($3.70) in the Group Two QTC Cup.
Kuro ($3.70), a stablemate of the winner, was third, a further short half-head away.
Ball Of Muscle has now won eight of his 13 starts but trainer Joe Pride is not sure the gelding could run out a strong 1350m in the Stradbroke next Saturday.
“My first inclination is to not run in the Stradbroke. It was a good run today but I will have to have a discussion with connections,” Pride said.
He said he and jockey Glyn Schofield had decided to let Hugh Bowman on That’s A Good Idea lead if he wanted.
“But it didn’t work out that way because That’s A Good Idea wasn’t fast enough to lead us,” Pride said.
Pride said he was also inclined not to run Kuro in the Stradbroke.
Kuro is paid up for the $2 million race but, again, Pride will have a lengthy discussion with connections about whether to start.
“It was a brave run today as he had to give weight to some experienced and tough sprinters. I don’t want to overtax him by running him if there is a chance he will be flat,” Pride said.
Kiwi galloper El Roca was specked at big odds but was never a winning chance and finished fifth.
“He just isn’t letting down when asked for an effort at this stage of his campaign,” jockey Tommy Berry said.
