The Winter Stakes is likely to be run without two of its main attractions with topweight Mic Mac an uncertain starter and French import Bayrir to be saved for another day.
Trainer Paul Messara said Mic Mac’s 60.5kg made it almost impossible for him to win and he was looking at an alternative program for the seven-year-old who won his first race in four years last Saturday week.
Chris Waller said Bayrir, winner of the Group One Secretariat Stakes in the United States last year, would be saved for a couple of weeks after getting 59.5kg and was likely to have a barrier trial instead.
Mic Mac’s career has been interrupted three times with serious injury and illness and he has been restricted to 23 starts.
His Civic Stakes comeback win was his first since he took out the Group Two Memsie Stakes in August 2009.
“I think it’s a terrible weight. I don’t understand it and it’s unlikely he will run,” Messara said.
“He has been carrying a rating from two years ago. He was 110 and he went back down to 104 for the Civic.
“Now he’s gone up two points to 106 but has gone up a kilo-and-a-half instead of one kilo.
“It’s makes it too hard.”
In the years between his wins, Mic Mac suffered a hoof injury, nearly lost an eye in a paddock accident and fractured a cannon bone during the 2012 Group One Galaxy with his time away from the track amounting to more than two years.
For all of his problems, he came through the Civic Stakes well with Messara now eyeing a weight-for-age campaign.
“The Missile Stakes and the Warwick Stakes in August, both at weight-for-age, are the two possibilities at this stage” he said.
“I would prefer to run on Saturday but it would be very difficult for him with that weight.”
