Talented mare Alberton Park faces her moment of truth at Doomben which could help decide if she heads to Melbourne this spring.Trainer Liam Birchley will go against his better judgment and start the four-year-old in Saturday's Ormiston College Handicap which carries prizemoney of $100,000 for fillies and mares.Birchley was surprised when Alberton Park was allotted 55 kilograms for the 1200-metre event following her last-start win with 58 kilograms in a class four at Eagle Farm on August 25."It w

Talented mare Alberton Park faces her moment of truth at Doomben which could help decide if she heads to Melbourne this spring.

Trainer Liam Birchley will go against his better judgment and start the four-year-old in Saturday's Ormiston College Handicap which carries prizemoney of $100,000 for fillies and mares.

Birchley was surprised when Alberton Park was allotted 55 kilograms for the 1200-metre event following her last-start win with 58 kilograms in a class four at Eagle Farm on August 25.

"It was only a class four she won last time when she carried 58 kilos and this is a $100,000 race and she's got 55 kilos," Birchley said.

"I'm a bit surprised she got that much weight."

Birchley is delighted with Alberton Park's progress since recording her fourth win from 14 starts at Eagle Farm last month.

"Her last win was quite arrogant and she pulled up well after it and is continuing to work well," he said.

"This is a good test for her and I'll see how she goes before deciding where she'll head next.

"There's another race like this for fillies and mares over 1350 metres in a fortnight and she could go to that.

"Melbourne is also a possibility but I'm a bit concerned with the tracks being wet down there.

"If she does go to Melbourne she'd go for fillies and mares races."

Birchley's main concern with Alberton Park is the weather forecast.

"They're tipping rain for Friday and I don't want to run her if the track becomes too wet," he said.

The daughter of Group One winner Thorn Park has shown throughout her short career that she could be above average.

Birchley is keen to test Alberton Park over ground in the near future after missing the opportunity to run her in the Group One Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm during the Brisbane winter carnival.

Her Oaks campaign was abandoned after she was injured on a walking machine.

Birchley struggled to find a senior rider for Alberton Park in the non-claiming race before finally engaging his own apprentice, Mitchell Speers.

Several of Brisbane's top jockeys including Larry Cassidy and Glen Colless are unavailable because of suspension while Stathi Katsidis is riding in Melbourne and Jim Byrne has decided to take the day off.