The Brisbane winter carnival has been a mixed bag for trainer Peter Snowden and the Darley operation with wet tracks playing havoc with most of the team sent to Queensland.The one exception was Purple whose dominance on soft ground continued with a dashing victory in the Queensland Oaks.A firm surface for Saturday's Ipswich meeting gives Imvula the chance to shine in the Cup (2150m) and sets El Cambio up for an overdue win in the Eye Liner Stakes (1350m).It will more than likely be the last Aust

The Brisbane winter carnival has been a mixed bag for trainer Peter Snowden and the Darley operation with wet tracks playing havoc with most of the team sent to Queensland.

The one exception was Purple whose dominance on soft ground continued with a dashing victory in the Queensland Oaks.

A firm surface for Saturday's Ipswich meeting gives Imvula the chance to shine in the Cup (2150m) and sets El Cambio up for an overdue win in the Eye Liner Stakes (1350m).

It will more than likely be the last Australian appearance by both horses who are among nine being transferred to Sheikh Mohammed's Dubai operation.

El Cambio hasn't won since he took out the Gilgai Stakes during the Melbourne spring and although he has a win on heavy ground and a good record on dead tracks, his three best performances from six starts this campaign have all been on good.

He ran second in the Liverpool City Cup in March and began his Queensland campaign with an unlucky third in the Prime Minister's Cup at the Gold Coast.

That was followed by his second to Court Command in the Group Three BTC Sprint.

His ninth in the QTC Cup on a slow track convinced Snowden to abandon Stradbroke Handicap ambitions.

"The tracks up there were just bottomless," Snowden said.

"I'm a bit sceptical about Ipswich being a good three but I'm certainly hoping it is for both the horses."

Imvula strung together three placings in country Cups late last year including a nose second to Banana Man in the Bendigo Cup and an unlucky second to Blutigeroo in the Canberra Cup.

The four-year-old has done all his racing this campaign in Queensland with his best performance a 1-3/4-lengths fifth in the Chairman's Handicap won by Ballack.

The wet has also hampered the winter campaign of triple Group One winner Forensics who is heading to the Winter Stakes on Saturday week.

"She missed the Stradbroke and then we wanted to trial her but the trials were cancelled," Snowden said.

"She had a strong gallop at the Gold Coast on Tuesday and hopefully she can also get a dry track."

Darley's number one rider Kerrin McEvoy will remain in Sydney this weekend to help Snowden's bid to whittle back Gai Waterhouse's premiership lead.

El Cambio will be ridden by Michael Cahill while Matthew Palmer will partner Imvula.