The weight factor on a heavy track has prompted trainer Pat Duff to give a slight preference to Cocktail Supreme over stablemate Hard To Catch in Saturday's Bruce McLachlan Glasshouse Handicap at Caloundra.Duff won the Listed 1400m feature two years ago with Hard To Catch and was runner-up last year with Cocktail Supreme who went down narrowly to Victorian galloper Pinnacles.This year Cocktail Supreme is down on form compared to 12 months ago but Duff believes the five-year-old has the right con

The weight factor on a heavy track has prompted trainer Pat Duff to give a slight preference to Cocktail Supreme over stablemate Hard To Catch in Saturday's Bruce McLachlan Glasshouse Handicap at Caloundra.

Duff won the Listed 1400m feature two years ago with Hard To Catch and was runner-up last year with Cocktail Supreme who went down narrowly to Victorian galloper Pinnacles.

This year Cocktail Supreme is down on form compared to 12 months ago but Duff believes the five-year-old has the right conditions on a track rated a heavy 10 to return to his best.

A Glen Colless mount, Hard To Catch will carry 57 kilograms in the Glasshouse Handicap, four kilos more than Cocktail Supreme who is on the minimum with 53.

Hard To Catch finished 11th on a heavy track behind Black Piranha in the Group One Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 6 then appeared to have every chance when seventh to Soiled in the Listed Centenary Mile (1600m) on the same track last week.

"Once it gets to extremely heavy it makes it difficult for Hard To Catch because of his big weights," Duff said.

"He goes well in the wet but I'm leaning to Cocktail Supreme as my best chance."

Cocktail Supreme has competed in black-type races at his past five starts during the winter carnival.

The five-year-old started with a bang, winning the Listed Bribie Handicap (1200m) at Eagle Farm in April followed by a close fourth to Rampant Lion in the Listed Dr John Power Quality (1200m) at the same venue a week later.

However, Cocktail Supreme then tailed the field after being trapped wide in the Group Three BTC Sprint (1350m) won by Court Command at Doomben on May 16 before finishing 10th to Ortensia in the Group Two QTC Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm on May 30.

At his latest appearance Cocktail Supreme beat only two runners home behind in Mitanni's Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich on June 13.

"His last run in the Eye Liner looked okay but the race was unusual," Duff said.

"They went hard up front and he didn't have a lot of luck from the 800 metres.

"He loves the wet and is a duck in it and he's right at his peak for this race."

Duff was delighted with Cocktail Supreme's performance behind Ortensia in the QTC Cup.

"His run behind Ortensia was very good. He had a bad draw and had to get over," he said.

"He was only beaten just over three lengths and was making ground on Ortensia.

"Had he drawn better in the QTC he would have been right in the finish."