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BRISBANE - Rain couldn't have come at a worse time for New Zealand trainer Paul Duncan as Kiwi stayer Sands Of Time prepares for the group one Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Sands Of Time, who came up with gate 15 at yesterday's Derby barrier draw, was rated a good thing beaten by Duncan when the gelding was narrowly missing out to the Bart Cummings-trained Empires Choice in the group three Rough Habit Plate (2020m) at Doomben on May 27.
Duncan, who is based at Cambridge, left Doomben thinking Sands Of Time was a genuine hope in the 2400m Queensland Derby until heavy rain fell in Brisbane.
Eagle Farm was rated slow yesterday after 42mm of rain was recorded by 11am but a downgrade appeared certain with a similar amount predicted to fall before tonight.
"The rain is not what we wanted. He's got some form on wet tracks at home but I would have preferred a dry track," Duncan said.
"At this stage he's starting but I'll probably have a talk about that with his owners on Friday."
Jockey Craig Williams, who is the leading group one rider in Australia this season, will ride Sands Of Time in the Queensland Derby after top Kiwi jockey Mark Du Plessis was suspended following his ride on the gelding in the Rough Habit Plate.
"I thought his last run was great and he should have won," Duncan said. "He got held up 250m from home and had he got into the clear sooner he would have won."
Trainer Mike Moroney was delighted with Queensland Oaks winner Eskimo Queen's barrier five as she attempts to become only the fourth filly to win the Queensland Oaks-Queensland Derby double.
The only Australian fillies to achieve the feat were Analie (1973) and Bravery (1988) while Royal Magic was the only Kiwi filly to complete the double in 1992.
Eskimo Queen's draw enabled her to remain favourite at A$4.60 in fixed-odds betting with TAB Sportsbet, ahead of the Bart Cummings-trained Empires Choice who is at A$5 after drawing awkwardly in gate 10 in the field of 20.
Sands Of Time has only been in Duncan's care for six runs but has won four of his 15 starts.
The son of Sandtrap has only raced past 1600m twice, in the Rough Habit Plate and at his previous start when second at Te Rapa in April.
But Duncan, who is on his first trip to Brisbane, is confident Sands Of Time will run out the 2400m.
"He's only had two runs at 2000m but I think he'll get the distance," he said.
"There's a couple of 2400m winners on his dam's side."
Duncan has been training for more than 20 years and won his first Australian race with Autumn Queen who was successful at Moonee Valley in March 1993.
His career highlight was winning his only group one race in the 2003 Wellington Cup (3200m) with Oarsman.
Duncan rates Empires Choice and the Gai Waterhouse-trained Theseo, barrier 17, as the two major threats to Sands Of Time who will return home after the Queensland Derby to prepare for the group one Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings in October.
-AAP
