KEY POINTS:
Cambridge trainer Roger James admits he fears the 100ml of rain forecast for Brisbane yesterday and overnight as he approached today's Queensland Oaks.
Not because he's certain his runner Valpolicella won't handle the rain-affected footing at Eagle Farm - he's concerned the meeting could be called off.
"It's
been suggested they won't run if something like the 100ml of rain arrives," said James.
The damage of 35ml of rain on Thursday night had its affect when the footing was downgraded from slow to heavy mid-afternoon yesterday.
Melbourne's DomeBet bookie Brian Taylor said he has a mate living practically next door to Eagle Farm who he uses as his official guide to track conditions at the two adjacent Brisbane metropolitan tracks.
"My mate says it'll be a bog track tomorrow," said Taylor. "If that's his opinion I'm backing him."
The track had taken 52ml of rain to late yesterday afternoon.
Valpolicella has not raced on a heavy track, but the footing was slow when she won the 1600m Champagne Stakes at Ellerslie last season.
"That doesn't say she'll handle it heavy, but it shows she's not a complete duffer in it," said James.
"I would have preferred a good track, but this may not entirely rule us out." In Valpolicella's favour is that she is a tough grinder.
A 2400m Oaks run on a deep, heavy track is a massive test for a 3-year-old filly, even at this late stage in the season and Valpolicella has shown she's right up to that type of task.
Her dour qualities were obvious in her Champagne Stakes victory and again in the Doomben Roses last start when she raced a little one-paced for the shorter distance, but perfect as a trial for a 2400m race and was not that far away from the placed horses.
James is delighted with the way she has progressed through to the Oaks. "When she galloped on Tuesday morning I knew I'd done my job.
"It was very good work and she couldn't be better going into this race."
Something else that has delighted James is the fact he nominated Valpolicella for next week's Queensland Derby.
New Zealand also has engaged the John Wheeler-trained Pentura.
The filly had experienced problems leading into the race, but Wheeler was confident they had been dealt with.
The additional problem may be the track conditions.
Pentura won the Ellerslie Oaks on Auckland Cup Day on a slow surface, but at least part of that was due to a smart tactical ride by Michael Walker.
This footing is likely to be much different.
