After almost three decades, Kiwi trainer Keith Opie is hopeful Indikator can end his Brisbane winter carnival drought in the Listed Caloundra Cup on Saturday.Opie believes the softer Caloundra surface will be a plus for his six-year-old who drew gate 17 at Wednesday's barrier draw for the $200,000 2400-metre feature.Ipswich Cup winner Our Lukas fared worse with barrier 20 while the Gerald Ryan-trained Ironstein drew the rails.Indikator earned his trip to Queensland following his Group Three Roto

After almost three decades, Kiwi trainer Keith Opie is hopeful Indikator can end his Brisbane winter carnival drought in the Listed Caloundra Cup on Saturday.

Opie believes the softer Caloundra surface will be a plus for his six-year-old who drew gate 17 at Wednesday's barrier draw for the $200,000 2400-metre feature.

Ipswich Cup winner Our Lukas fared worse with barrier 20 while the Gerald Ryan-trained Ironstein drew the rails.

Indikator earned his trip to Queensland following his Group Three Rotorua Cup (2200m) win last month.

Glen Colless, who has ridden Indikator at his past three winter starts including his second to Mirrasalo in the Group Three Tattersall's Cup at Eagle Farm last Saturday, has been retained for the Caloundra Cup.

"I was very happy with his Tatt's Cup run. He came here for the Brisbane and Caloundra Cups but the track was too hard for him in the Brisbane Cup," Opie said.

The son of Sandtrap finished a close fifth to Tabulate in his Brisbane debut in the Group Three Premier's Cup at Doomben on May 29 before finishing 10th to Crossthestart in the Group Two Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm two weeks later.

Indikator is the first horse Opie has brought to Queensland since Group One winner So Dandy in 1983.

So Dandy, who ended his career with 14 wins, had five starts in Brisbane that year but his only win was in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich.

He earlier finished fifth to Brenlaine in the Group One Elders (Stradbroke) Handicap at Eagle Farm and seventh to My Axeman in the Group One Rothman's 100,000 (1350m), now run as the Doomben 10,000.

"I brought So Dandy over for the Rothman's 100,000 but he got the visitor's draw and finished midfield," Opie said.

"He had another run at Doomben and ran second and then won the Eye Liner at Ipswich.

"Since those days I've only potted around with a few horses and I haven't had one good enough to bring over until Indikator."

Opie, 60, was a talented jumps rider when apprenticed to Dave O'Sullivan.

However, after getting married and starting a family in his early 20s, Opie quit his promising career in the saddle to milk cows for five years.

"I had a young family and I came to the conclusion it was too dangerous a risk for my young family," he said.

Opie's biggest win as a trainer was with So Dandy in the Group One Railway Handicap at Ellerslie, the same year the sprinter ventured to Queensland.

Trainer Gerald Ryan received mixed news at the barrier draw for Saturday's Listed $175,000 Glasshouse Handicap (1400m).

Adnocon, winner of the Listed Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich last start, drew barrier 11 while stablemate Helideck drew the rails.

Of New Zealand's representatives, King Mufhasa drew barrier eight but has topweight of 60 kilograms while the Karen Zimmerman-trained Barinka will jump from gate five.

Barinka was runner-up to Adnocon in the Eye Liner Stakes at her last appearance.