BTC Cup flop Srikandi will push on to the Group 1 $750,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben in a fortnight.
Srikandi will push onto the Doomben 10000 following her out of character eighth in the BTC Cup at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Trainer Ciaron Maher failed to find anything amiss with his glamour mare after she was beaten seven lengths when eighth to Hot Snitzel in the Group 1 $500,000 UBET BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben last Saturday.
Srikandi was sent out as the well fancied second favourite at $3.40 but virtually blew her chances at the start when she left the barriers awkwardly before jockey Damian Browne had her travelling midfield.
But the chestnut mare failed to fire in the straight and was well beaten at the finish.
Maher said the Srikandi was showing no signs of soreness when he inspected her on Sunday morning and at this stage would continue onto the weight for age Doomben 100000.
“She seems fine. We trotted her up and all looks normal. We will do a few little tests, but at this stage we will continue to the Doomben 10,000,” Maher told The Courier-Mail.
Brown was also disappointed with the run and even though she was slow to begin, the leading Queensland jockey had the mare travelling on the bit mid race but she failed to respond when it counted.
“Once I placed her under pressure in the straight she didn’t respond,” Browne said.
Srikandi was one of the stars of the 2014 Winter Carnival which saw her win the Listed $150,000 Silk Stocking (1200m) at the Gold Coast, the Listed $100,000 Juanmo Stakes (1200m) and the Group 3 $150,000 Glenlogan Park Stakes (1350m) at Doomben before running third to River Lad in the Group 1 $1.36m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm.
The Dubawi mare showed that she was on track for another successful Brisbane Winter Carnival campaign when she toyed with her opposition in winning the Group 2 $200,000 SMEG Victory Stakes (1200m) at the Gold Coast on April 25
Maher is prepared to overlook her out of character performance in the BTC Cup and give her another chance to prove herself in the Doomben 10000 and then push on to the Group 1 $2m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on June 6.
“I think the problem was she did it all back to front, so I’m not going to be too harsh on her,” Maher said.
The market order for the Doomben 10000 at Ladbrokes.com.au has now be reshaped after Srikandi’s poor run along with BTC Cup favourite Our Boy Malachi ($3.10) finishing one length third to Hot Snitzel.
The Darren Weir trained Lucky Hussler has been elevated to favourite at $8 just ahead of Srikandi at $8.50 and Our Boy Malachi at $9.50 with BRC Sprint winner Charlie Boy now in the betting at $10.
