Recovering roarer Toorak Toff will no longer tackle the Doomben 10,000 as his next assignment, with trainer Rick Hore-Lacy instead electing to send him straight to the $1 million Stradbroke Handicap on June 11.
Toorak Toff came back to racing this year after undergoing an operation to stop his roaring, a condition which causes partial paralysis to the horse’s oesophagus.
The three-year-old colt made his comeback run in the Group 1 The Goodwood last start, finishing 17th in the 18 horse field.
Hore-Lacy was happy with Toorak Toff’s performance, despite the undesirable result.
“If you got back on that track on that day you simply couldn’t win,” Hore-Lacey said.
“We drew wide and elected to go back so I just say forget he ran.”
The trainer said that he will now take Toorak Toff straight to the Stradbroke Handicap in order to avoid both Hay List and Black Caviar who will run in the Doomben 10,000.
“We’ve decided against running him in the Doomben 10,000,” Hore-Lacey said.
“We’re going to have a crack at the Eagle Farm race (Stradbroke) on the big track because the other two (Black Caviar and Hay List) won’t be there.”
Hore-Lacy also admitted that the small weight of 51 kilograms in the Stradbroke was the favourable option.
“We’ll also be favoured by the handicap as opposed to the weight-for-age conditions of the Doomben 10,000.”
Toorak Toff will be looking to add to his impressive record of five wins from 12 starts and to his current prize money of more than $1 million.
