Mick Mair has some bad news for rival trainer Tony Noonan whose hopes of gaining a Stradbroke Handicap start with Ortensia could hinge on the filly winning Saturday's Group Two QTC Cup at Eagle Farm.Ortensia is 25th in the order of entry and a borderline chance of starting in Saturday week's $1 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm unless she wins the QTC Cup which carries a ballot exemption for the winner.However, history is against the QTC Cup winner as no horse has won the feature
Mick Mair has some bad news for rival trainer Tony Noonan whose hopes of gaining a Stradbroke Handicap start with Ortensia could hinge on the filly winning Saturday's Group Two QTC Cup at Eagle Farm.
Ortensia is 25th in the order of entry and a borderline chance of starting in Saturday week's $1 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm unless she wins the QTC Cup which carries a ballot exemption for the winner.
However, history is against the QTC Cup winner as no horse has won the feature and gone on to be successful in the Stradbroke.
Ortensia rocketed into Stradbroke calculations with her explosive victory in the Listed Glenlogan Park Stud Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on May 16 and is TAB Sportsbet's $6 equal second favourite with Black Piranha behind All Silent ($4.80).
Mair is confident his Oakleigh Plate winner Swiss Ace can bounce back to winning form despite the four-year-old's last-start failure when last to Duporth in the Group One BTC Cup (1200m) on May 9.
Mair saw the signs in Swiss Ace who is an entire and played up in the mounting yard before the BTC Cup.
"He didn't want to be there that day but he hasn't missed a beat since and he's been able to work on the cushion track despite all the rain we've had," Mair said.
Swiss Ace will race in blinkers for the first time in his career in the QTC Cup after passing a series of tests with the headgear in trackwork.
"He's worn them a few times in trackwork now and he went okay," Mair said.
"But you don't really know how horses will go with blinkers on the first time until you try them in a race."
Mair scratched Swiss Ace from last Saturday's Group One Doomben 10,000 (1350m) because of the heavy track and has warned he won't run if Eagle Farm is worse than dead.
Eagle Farm was rated slow on Thursday but had improved to dead on Friday.
Mair was unconcerned with Swiss Ace drawing barrier 18 in the 1300-metre feature in which Ortensia, a Craig Williams mount, drew gate seven.
"I'd gladly swap alleys with Ortensia but the barrier doesn't bother me that much," Mair said.
"He's got the speed to cross them if he has to.
"I've heard all the talk about Ortensia needing to win this race to get into the Stradbroke but she'll have to get past my bloke first."
Swiss Ace jumped from barrier 18 and easily crossed the Oakleigh Plate field to lead when he narrowly won the 1100-metre Group One feature at Caulfield on February 21.