KEY POINTS:
Colin Little is in no hurry to find a standby rider for El Segundo after Damien Oliver last week committed to ride Haradasun this spring.
The trainer said there were no plans to replace Oliver on El Segundo while some of the owners were still overseas.
Last autumn,
Oliver replaced Darren Gauci as El Segundo's rider and won the group two Carlyon Stakes and group one Orr Stakes on the gelding.
He also partnered him to third in the group one Futurity Stakes and last start when El Segundo finished seventh in the Australian Cup at Caulfield in March.
Little said that Oliver still had first option on El Segundo who is scheduled to resume in the Aurie's Star Hcp (1100m) at Moonee Valley on August 11 which would avoid a clash with Haradasun.
"We can still get Ollie for a while, I presume," Little said.
"Two of the owners are overseas so we probably won't make a decision for a while."
Little said El Segundo was about 10 to 14 days behind schedule because of the wet tracks and was a chance to miss the Aurie's Star and have his campaign delayed if he didn't come up in time.
"He could run in the Aurie's Star, have a gallop at the Moonee Valley meeting that day or have a trial at Cranbourne on the 13th," Little said.
He said he was reluctant to run El Segundo first-up in the Liston Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 18.
"I have never run him first-up over 1400m and I'm not keen to do it," Little said.
In all likelihood, El Segundo and Haradasun would clash in the Liston.
However, Little is considering a first-up tilt at the Liston with The BMW and Hobart Cup winner Blutigeroo.
Little said Blutigeroo had recovered from a foot abscess which interrupted his campaign for three days over the weekend.
He said Blutigeroo's sudden emergence as a group one winner last autumn was due to the horse missing last spring after a promising winter campaign.
"He's ticked along nicely, had a nice spell after Sydney and is a bit stronger," Little said.
"There is some hope of even further improvement this spring," Little said.
* The Queensland Racehorse Owners Association (QROA) has urged its members to support the proposed merger of Brisbane's two race clubs.
The state's governing body, Queensland Racing Limited (QRL) has been pushing for the rival Queensland Turf Club (QTC) and Brisbane Turf Club (BTC) to set aside their differences and join forces.
Eagle Farm, which is managed by the QTC, and Doomben, which is operated by the BTC, are separated by Nudgee Rd which has been renamed the "Gaza Strip".
Voting by members of both clubs will take place on August 28.
The QTC has already announced its support while the BTC board will decide tomorrow whether to recommend the merger to its members.
QROA president Wayne Milner said it was time the two clubs were merged to ensure the future viability of racing in the state.
"We can only see upside for owners with a merged entity, which will create administrative savings, a common focus and remove the 'Gaza Strip' mentality which has existed between the two clubs for far too long," Milner said.
"The ability to approach the corporate community on a united basis of metropolitan racing, offering improved marketing opportunities augurs well for increased revenue for the racing industry which in turn should reflect improved facilities for both the participants and the racehorse.
QRL chairman Bob Bentley has warned that "another jurisdiction" could replace Brisbane as the state's major racing centre unless the proposal goes ahead.
AAP