Cushion tracks and handicappers are not on trainer Ron Macrae's list of favourites at the moment ahead of Regal Castanea's bid to win the Ray White Open Handicap at Doomben.Macrae believes Regal Castanea was a victim of the new cushion track in the Listed Toowoomba Cup (2100m) last start when the four-year-old finished ninth to the Rex Lipp-trained Jussemi.Macrae, who was against starting the Sequalo gelding with his big weight of 58 kilograms in the July 11 feature, discovered several days afte

Cushion tracks and handicappers are not on trainer Ron Macrae's list of favourites at the moment ahead of Regal Castanea's bid to win the Ray White Open Handicap at Doomben.

Macrae believes Regal Castanea was a victim of the new cushion track in the Listed Toowoomba Cup (2100m) last start when the four-year-old finished ninth to the Rex Lipp-trained Jussemi.

Macrae, who was against starting the Sequalo gelding with his big weight of 58 kilograms in the July 11 feature, discovered several days after the race that he had jarred up behind.

"He's so tough we didn't know until late last week that he had jarred up in both hind legs," Macrae said.

"The farrier noticed while shoeing him that he had bruising which had burst out in both hind heels.

"I didn't think he handled the cushion track too well and it appears the track was too hard.

"They walked early in the race and he pulled but he gave away too much start when he had to come up the hill.

"I've already discussed it with his owners and he'll never start on a cushion track again and the way he's going he might even end up in Sydney."

Macrae used an old remedy by painting on a solution of iodine and oil to toughen up the affected areas in his hind legs and has declared Regal Castanea fit to tackle Saturday's 2020-metre assignment.

"He didn't miss any work and is right now so I'm expecting he'll run a good race again," he said.

Macrae hadn't planned to be in Brisbane with Regal Castanea who was nominated for Saturday's $100,000 Listed Townsville Cup in north Queensland.

However, Macrae scrapped the Townsville Cup mission after handicappers allotted him 58kg for the 2100-metre feature.

"I can't understand these handicappers," Macrae said.

"He won the Rockhampton Cup with 55.5 kilos but the weights for that race were raised two kilos and then he jumped to 58 kilos for the Toowoomba Cup.

"I thought his Toowoomba Cup weight was too harsh and I expected 56kg or 56.5kg would be reasonable in Townsville."

Macrae also can't fathom how Toowoomba Cup winner Jussemi managed to receive only 53.5 kilos at Doomben.

"A good example of the handicapping is at Doomben where Jussemi got 53.5 kilos and wasn't even penalised for winning a Listed race in the Toowoomba Cup," he said.

Macrae believes Regal Castanea's future may be in Sydney if handicappers continue to treat him harshly.

Macrae's daughter, Catherine Kirkwood, owns a quarter-share in Regal Castanea but the remaining owners all live in Sydney.

A Sydney trip for the spring isn't in the pipeline but Macrae is considering the Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in December.