Trainer Eden Petrie fears a lack of match fitness for Albert The Fat's comeback in the Group Two Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.But despite his concerns, Petrie is hopeful Albert The Fat will be competitive enough in the 1200-metre feature to confirm a tilt at the three major Group One sprints during the winter - the BTC Cup (1200m) and Doomben 10,000 (1350m) next month, before the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm in June.Albert The Fat ran the worst race of his 18-start caree

Trainer Eden Petrie fears a lack of match fitness for Albert The Fat's comeback in the Group Two Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

But despite his concerns, Petrie is hopeful Albert The Fat will be competitive enough in the 1200-metre feature to confirm a tilt at the three major Group One sprints during the winter - the BTC Cup (1200m) and Doomben 10,000 (1350m) next month, before the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm in June.

Albert The Fat ran the worst race of his 18-start career at his last appearance, when he tailed the field in the Magic Millions Sprint (1200m), won by Warrior Girl at the Gold Coast on January 9.

"I was fearing the worst at the 600 metres and I had all sorts of things going through my head at the time," Petrie said.

"He jumped awkwardly and rolled his ankle and was slightly lame after the race.

"We had X-rays taken which thankfully cleared him of any serious damage."

Albert The Fat, the winner of nine races, impressed Petrie when he ran second to former Melbourne sprinter Cardinal Virtue in an 1100-metre barrier trial at Eagle Farm last week.

"He trialled beautifully and Damien Browne, who rode him in the trial, will ride him on Saturday," Petrie said.

"He's forward enough to be competitive, but he's stepping up to another league here.

"But I'll be disappointed if he doesn't find the line strongly."

Petrie has always believed Albert The Fat had a big race win in him, and planned to send him to Melbourne for the Group One Emirates Stakes at Flemington last spring.

"I took him to Sydney for the spring and he ran well when he finished third in the (Listed) Show County at Randwick," he said.

"Then I took the blinkers off him for the Tramway, but unfortunately, he copped some early interference and struck himself.

"He had a couple of lacerations which required treatment, so we had to bring him home instead of going on to Melbourne."

Meanwhile, former New Zealander Jasminka has been ruled out of the winter carnival with a cracked cannon bone.

Jasminka was on trial for a trip to Sydney for the Group Two Emancipation Stakes at Randwick, when she was beaten as the short-priced favourite at Eagle Farm on April 5.

Trainer Brian Smith later discovered Jasminka was sore over the hindquarters and she was treated by a chiropractor.

However, X-rays later determined she had a cracked cannon bone which required surgery.

"We were going to take her to Sydney for the Emancipation Stakes, but we had a second lot of X-rays taken, which found she had a hairline fracture of the cannon bone," Smith said.

"She's a very smart mare and there had to be a reason why she was beaten last time."