"And if it's wet, that's another variable."
Hallowed Crown has a perfect winning record from three starts on rain-affected ground including the Golden Rose.
Randwick received 10mm on Monday with the predicted showers yesterday turning into steady rain throughout the morning.
That's not such good news for Paul Beshara, the trainer of South Australian horse Happy Trails who is lining up in the Doncaster for the third time.
"He's run in it twice and and it's been wet both times," Beshara said.
"I would prefer it to be firmer for him but there's nothing we can do."
In better news for Beshara, Happy Trails, a last-start third in the Australian Cup, drew barrier two after beginning from 11 in 2013 and 17 a year earlier.
The Chris Waller-trained Sacred Falls, the 58kg Doncaster topweight, will have to contend with a wide barrier in his attempt to win the race for a third consecutive year.
Waller had little luck in the draw with Sacred Falls drawing 20, last year's runner-up Royal Descent 18, Moriarty 11 and second emergency Kermadec 19.
The Australian Turf Club directors opted not to use their discretion to promote Kermadec into the field.
Despite the uncertainty over a start and the barrier, Kermadec remains the TAB's second favourite at $6 behind Hallowed Crown at $4.60.
Helen Page has put her faith in Queensland apprentice Luke Tarrant to upstage some of the best riders in the world when he partners Rudy in the Doncaster.
The youngster doesn't have the profile of his peers but he is accomplished in his own right and leads the Brisbane jockeys' premiership.
More importantly for Page, Tarrant has ridden Rudy at his past six starts for two wins and two seconds including a Villiers Stakes victory in December.
The horse has finished unplaced at his two most recent runs but Page does not hold Tarrant accountable for Rudy's performances in the Ajax Stakes and Doncaster Mile Prelude.
The Gold Coast trainer has full confidence in the apprentice to get the job done. "I hear all the talk about champion jockeys but we have wanted the one jockey to ride this horse the whole campaign," Page said.
"I have had the experience of coming to Sydney with horses and a jockey will ride them one day and then switch to something else the very next.
"He has done nothing wrong and he handles the horse well."
Four-year-old Rudy will bid to break a 40-year drought for Queensland-trained horses in the Doncaster Mile with none successful since the Jim Atkins-trained Dalrello in 1975.
- AAP
