Racing: Railway trip likely for Queenslander

Funtantes may make the trip to Ellerslie. Photo / Supplied

Queensland sprinter Funtantes has to just avoid disgracing herself in Sydney on Saturday to be on a flight to Auckland next Tuesday for the $200,000 Blandford Lodge Railway on New Year's Day.

Funtantes will contest Randwick's main sprint and her effort will judge for Brisbane trainer Robert Heathcote whether the trip to New Zealand for Ellerslie's biggest sprint is justified.

With New Zealand under sweltering temperatures and drought conditions, the Australian eastern seaboard has been awash with rain for weeks.

As a result Heathcote has been frustrated in trying to get Funtantes to the races.

Funtantes looked top class as a juvenile in Brisbane, but her form last season, as a 3-year-old, failed to reach quite the same height.

This preparation at four has seen her close to her 2-year-old form, but she has been racing without luck.

Heathcote copped some flack when he took on the group one sprint at Caulfield over the spring carnival and narrowly missed out being right when she beat all but Woorim.

He would have liked to have run her in Brisbane this Saturday, but one of the sprints is 1100m, which is too short, and the other is 1350m, which the trainer believes is too far in her first start in nearly four weeks.

"We're prepared to roll the dice and spend a bit of money to come to New Zealand for the Railway," he said.

"She's just had no luck at all and will be competitive wherever she goes."

Queensland jockey Jim Byrne will ride Funtantes at Randwick.