Sue Grills is confident her country champion Border Rebel can beat the rush to qualify for the $1 million Stradbroke Handicap by gaining a ballot exemption in Saturday's Group Two QTC Cup at Eagle Farm.Border Rebel, the pocket rocket from Tamworth, took his career earnings to more than $370,000 by claiming his 11th victory from only 14 starts in the Raheeb Quality (1100m) at Scone last month.However the four-year-old, who cost only $26,000 as a yearling, faces a struggle to make the field for th

Sue Grills is confident her country champion Border Rebel can beat the rush to qualify for the $1 million Stradbroke Handicap by gaining a ballot exemption in Saturday's Group Two QTC Cup at Eagle Farm.

Border Rebel, the pocket rocket from Tamworth, took his career earnings to more than $370,000 by claiming his 11th victory from only 14 starts in the Raheeb Quality (1100m) at Scone last month.

However the four-year-old, who cost only $26,000 as a yearling, faces a struggle to make the field for the Group One Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday week with only 51.5kg.

He is currently 21st in order of entry for the 1400-metre feature.

Grills is rolling the dice hoping the son of Johannesburg can fight off several other Stradbroke hopefuls in the QTC Cup and extend his winning sequence to eight in Saturday's 1300-metre feature.

However, the odds are stacked against Border Rebel and several of his rivals as no QTC Cup winner has gone on to claim victory in the Stradbroke Handicap.

Victorian mare Ortensia won last year's QTC Cup and went close to smashing the hoodoo when an unlucky third to Black Piranha in the Stradbroke.

Border Rebel has never raced over the QTC Cup distance or beyond but Grills is unconcerned.

The gelding normally shows brilliant speed but sat off the pace behind early leader Black Prince at Scone.

"I don't know what happened there. He was a touch slow out of the gates at Scone," she said.

"Normally he's like a bullet out of the gates.

"He's never been past 1250 metres but he settles so well I'm sure he'll run 1400 metres."

Grills is hoping for a soft track in the QTC Cup and Stradbroke as Border Rebel is unbeaten in four starts on wet tracks - two on dead ground and two on heavy surfaces.

"He had a badly bruised sole so we had to send him to the paddock at the end of his last preparation," she said.

"He's not a big horse so we've had to look after him.

"He surprised me how easy he won at Eagle Farm last month and I'd like some rain for him."

Grills rates Border Rebel as easily the best horse she's trained but is unsure how he found his way into her stables.

"He was already broken in when he came to me as a young horse," she said.

"Veronica (Scott-Mason) owns him and somehow she found me to train him."

Scott-Mason now lives in Dorrigo in northern NSW after spending several years running Hazelwood Stud on Queensland's Darling Downs with her late husband John.

Her foray into breeding followed a highly-successful 25-year career as a trainer in Kenya.

Scott-Mason continued to train on her return to Australia but in recent times has concentrated on breeding and now regards herself as semi-retired.