Former Victorian Barlinnie took time to adjust to the Queensland way of racing but now that he has trainer Trevor Bailey is hoping to snare another feature race success at Doomben.The gelding had shown promise in Victoria where he won five of his first six starts and finished second to The Fuzz in the 2008 Group Two Blamey Stakes.He was sold after finishing down the track in a Listed race at Flemington two starts later and arrived at Bailey's Gold Coast stables 16 months ago.Barlinnie was quick

Former Victorian Barlinnie took time to adjust to the Queensland way of racing but now that he has trainer Trevor Bailey is hoping to snare another feature race success at Doomben.

The gelding had shown promise in Victoria where he won five of his first six starts and finished second to The Fuzz in the 2008 Group Two Blamey Stakes.

He was sold after finishing down the track in a Listed race at Flemington two starts later and arrived at Bailey's Gold Coast stables 16 months ago.

Barlinnie was quick to make his presence felt, winning the Doomben Stakes at just his second run for his new trainer, but Bailey said despite that success the gelding initially struggled to cope with racing in the clockwise direction.

This year the Doomben Stakes has become the Listed Lough Neagh Stakes (1350m) and Barlinnie will attempt back-to-back victories on Saturday.

While Bailey stopped short of saying the six-year-old had improved since last year, he believed he had become a more complete racehorse.

"He is a bit older and a bit stronger, he's matured more and he's handling this way of going much better," Bailey said.

"I'm not sure if he is better, but every time he ran up here he'd have a bit of trouble handling this way around and he's a different horse now.

"Now he goes around the turn and if he gets on his wrong leg he can change to his right leg quickly."

Barlinnie carried 55kg to victory last year and has two kilos more on Saturday but Bailey doesn't expect the extra weight to pose any problems.

The gelding carted 61.5kg to victory over 1300 metres at the Sunshine Coast first-up last month and Bailey has been buoyed by Barlinnie's ideal barrier draw in three.

"Last start and this start are just about the first times he's drawn an alley," Bailey said.

"The other times he's drawn awkwardly but this week he should be able to 'possie' up behind the leaders and box seat which helps in these big races."

After winning last year's Doomben Stakes, Barlinnie was ninth to Pepperwood in the Bernborough Handicap before heading back to Melbourne for a three-start campaign which included a fifth to Time Matters in the Group Three Carlyon Cup at Caulfield.

Bailey is yet to commit to a program beyond Saturday and says there are several options to be weighed up.

"We planned his first run and this run on Saturday," he said.

"There are no other plans at the moment but we can always freshen him up for the Goldmarket at the Gold Coast and there's another $100,000 race over 1400 metres at the Sunshine Coast after that."

Stathi Katsidis will ride Barlinnie who will face 17 rivals including Forestreno who finished runner-up to him 12 months ago.