Festival Stakes favourite Thankgodyou'rehere is still not a certain starter in the Listed event at Rosehill on Saturday.Pat Webster, who co-trains the exciting galloper in partnership with his son Wayne, said he would wait until the last minute to make a final call on whether the five-year-old takes his place in the race.Thankgodyou'rehere has stamped himself as one of Sydney's most promising horses coming through the grades, and he made the successful leap to stakes company with victory in last
Festival Stakes favourite Thankgodyou'rehere is still not a certain starter in the Listed event at Rosehill on Saturday.
Pat Webster, who co-trains the exciting galloper in partnership with his son Wayne, said he would wait until the last minute to make a final call on whether the five-year-old takes his place in the race.
Thankgodyou'rehere has stamped himself as one of Sydney's most promising horses coming through the grades, and he made the successful leap to stakes company with victory in last month's Group Three Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m).
Webster is convinced Thankgodyou'rehere is a far better horse on dry tracks compared to the wet ground he'll have to encounter in Saturday's 1500m event.
"We are having a look at what alternative options there are in Queensland and we're going to go to the wire on Saturday morning to see what the track is like (at Rosehill)," Webster said.
"The owner and my feelings are that the horse has been really good to us and we don't want to bottom him out running on a heavy track.
"You can run out of horse before you run out of races."
Wet weather in Sydney has already caused Thursday's Hawkesbury meeting to be postponed and Rosehill was rated heavy (8) after 55mm of rain had fallen at the track since Monday.
Thankgodyou'rehere has won seven of his 11 starts including the Hawkesbury Cup where he got home over the top of Glintz and Kimillsy on a slow track.
The father and son training team have the long-range plan to target next year's Group One Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in Brisbane in June.
The partnership suffered a setback last weekend when Wayne tore the cruciate and medial ligaments in one of his knees which requires surgery.
The accident occurred while Webster was swimming a horse at Randwick.
Thankgodyou'rehere was installed the $3.60 favourite for the Festival with TAB Sportsbet ahead of the Peter Snowden-trained Parthian ($4.60) who is unbeaten in three starts so far this preparation.
Parthian is also unbeaten in two attempts on heavy tracks but faces his biggest challenge yet stepping to stakes company for the first time.
The son of Lonhro lumped 58kg in heavy going when he fended off stablemate Khas Kura in a 1400m Benchmark-90 at Randwick on November 6.
Strat's Flyer, winner of the 2009 Listed Winter Stakes over the Festival course and distance on a heavy track, is also in the market at $5.50.
Triple Group One winner Mentality is unlikely to start unless there is a dramatic improvement in the track.