Leading trainer Chris Waller may still have five runners in the Group One Queensland Derby despite the scratching of Tangled.
Waller’s Queensland stable manager Paul Shailer said Tangled was found to be lame after trackwork at the Gold Coast and was scratched on Thursday morning.
“We have sent the vet’s certificate to allow us to scratch him,” Shailer said.
Tangled would have been lining up for his fourth Derby this season after finishing 11th in the Victoria Derby, third in the Australian Derby and 14th in the South Australian Derby.
Waller has Queensland Oaks winner Youngstar, Almighty Crown, Augustus, and Merovee in the field and Ombudsman is next in line as the original second emergency.
Waller has elected not to send last-start Rosehill winner Gresham from Sydney to Queensland and he has been scratched from the Group Two Queensland Guineas.
In Queensland a vet’s certificate is needed to scratch any horse from a Group One race after it has been accepted.
But if heavy rain continues stewards may use some latitude on race day.
Chief steward Allan Reardon said if heavy rain came and the track was downgraded on Saturday some common sense would be needed to allow scratchings.
“But hopefully we won’t have to make those decisions if the weather clears on Friday,” he said.
Doomben had 6mm of rain overnight to be rated in the soft range with another track inspection to be held late on Thursday.
