Despite the decision to spell top sprinters Nature Strip and Zousain, trainer Chris Waller still has a strong chance for his first Group One win of the winter at Eagle Farm.
Waller will saddle Ringerdingding and Prompt Response in the Group One Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) on Saturday.
Nature Strip started a short-priced favourite in the Group One Doomben 10,000 and was far from disgraced when fourth after being trapped deep the whole way.
Waller decided to spell Nature Strip for the spring and a possible berth in The Everest.
Zousain had been high in markets for all the Group One winter sprints but he had a spiked temperature when he arrived in Queensland.
Waller has high hopes for the Stradbroke Handicap for Ringerdingding who has not raced since winning the Carbine Club Stakes at Randwick in April.
“He trialled well when second at Randwick two weeks ago to get him ready for Saturday,” Waller said.
Waller has had the Stradbroke in the back of his mind for Ringerdingding, winner of the Sandown Guineas in the spring.
Three-year-olds have a good record in the Kingsford Smith with Falvelon (2000), Duporth (2009), Sea Siren (2012) and Your Song (2013) winning during the past two decades.
Prompt Response, who won the Group One Tatt’s Tiara last year for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, is now raced by a syndicate headed by Widden Stud and is set for a career as a broodmare.
