Burdekin Blues out of winter carnival

Star sprinter Burdekin Blues has been ruled out of the Brisbane winter carnival with a back injury leaving Saturday's Eagle Farm contenders Simplest and Racing Pegasus to fly the stable flag for trainer Barry Baldwin.Baldwin had earmarked next month's Group One BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben as Burdekin Blues' main winter goal but the four-year-old has been forced to the spelling paddock for eight weeks.Burdekin Blues won the Group Two Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill in February but raced well

Baldwin had earmarked next month's Group One BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben as Burdekin Blues' main winter goal but the four-year-old has been forced to the spelling paddock for eight weeks.

Burdekin Blues won the Group Two Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill in February but raced well below his best when he failed at his next two appearances in the Group One Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington and Group Three Star Kingdom Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill last month.

"We don't know how he got it but he has a back injury," Baldwin said.

"It's more muscular and there's some swelling and we think he hurt it in his last race in Sydney.

"We think it could also have happened while he was in Melbourne and he may have aggravated it going the other direction.

"The BTC Cup was going to be his main mission this winter and if he ran well in that then he possibly could have run in the Doomben 10,000 and Stradbroke.

"I suppose Simplest and Racing Pegasus will now have to step up to the mark for the winter."

Racing Pegasus will make her comeback in the Give Yourself Winning Edge Handicap (1000m) while Simplest tackles the Listed Bribie Handicap (1200m).

Simplest came off a wide barrier when a close third to Mr Hornblower in an 1110-metre Open Handicap (1110m) at Doomben on March 28 while Racing Pegasus hasn't raced since failing in the Magic Millions Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast in January.

"Simplest won't run if the track is slow or worse but he's the right type of horse who could win a race like the Lightning Handicap during the winter," Baldwin said.

"I was happy with his last start when he was always wide."

Racing Pegasus won her first two starts before finishing 15th to subsequent Golden Slipper winner Phelan Ready in the Magic Millions.

However, the filly was under a fitness cloud in the Gold Coast feature after Baldwin discovered she had a minor foot problem the night before the race.

"There was an increased pulse in her foot so I had the vet treat and bathe it," Baldwin said.

"We told the stewards and she was vetted again on Magic Millions day and was passed fit to run.

"I'm sure the foot problem wouldn't have helped her cause and perhaps she shouldn't have been restrained.

"She led both times when she won at Doomben but in the Magic Millions we decided to restrain her off the speed when in hindsight we should have let her run."

Baldwin expects Racing Pegasus will be competitive first-up after having only three weeks in the spelling paddock following the Magic Millions.

"Our first plan with her is to win some black type then we'll look at the bigger races," Baldwin said.

Racing Pegasus' first black-type test will be in the Listed Ken Russell Memorial Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on May 2 before the Listed Golden Stakes (1200m) at Doomben a week later.