Heavy rain is set to put an early end to trainer Tony Noonan's hopes of running exciting Victorian filly Ortensia in the Group One Doomben 10,000.Noonan was looking forward to Ortensia possibly making her weight-for-age debut in Saturday's 1350-metre Group One feature following her explosive three-length victory in the Listed Glenlogan Park Stud Stakes at Doomben last Saturday.The win elevated her to second favouritism at $6 behind $3 top pick Apache Cat in fixed-odds betting for the Doomben 10,
Heavy rain is set to put an early end to trainer Tony Noonan's hopes of running exciting Victorian filly Ortensia in the Group One Doomben 10,000.
Noonan was looking forward to Ortensia possibly making her weight-for-age debut in Saturday's 1350-metre Group One feature following her explosive three-length victory in the Listed Glenlogan Park Stud Stakes at Doomben last Saturday.
The win elevated her to second favouritism at $6 behind $3 top pick Apache Cat in fixed-odds betting for the Doomben 10,000.
Doomben was rated heavy on Tuesday after more than 80 millimetres of rain was recorded at the track in the past 24 hours.
The forecast is for similar drenching weather until Friday with showers continuing over the weekend.
"I don't think we'll even accept tomorrow," Noonan said.
"If the track is soft she won't be running and I haven't got a rider yet anyway as Craig Williams is committed to riding All Silent."
Williams rode Ortensia in the Glenlogan Park Stud Stakes and gave a glowing recommendation for the Doomben 10,000.
Noonan's phone had been running hot from jockeys and their managers trying to sew up the Doomben 10,000 ride on the three-year-old but all approaches have been rejected because of the wet track.
Ortensia, who was bought for only $60,000 in Melbourne, will still continue down the path to the Group One Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on June 6 and the Group One Winter Stakes at Eagle Farm a fortnight later.
The daughter of Testa Rossa has been tested only once on a track worse than dead, when she finished second on a slow track behind Silently in the Listed James HB Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Anzac Day.
"She wasn't comfortable in it last time so I'd say we'll bypass Saturday and either go to the QTC Cup or take a punt on getting a run in the Stradbroke," Noonan said.
"The statistics out of the QTC Cup are not good and ideally I'd like to go straight into the Stradbroke without another run."
The winner of the QTC Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm on May 30 is exempt from a Stradbroke Handicap ballot but no winner of the Group Two feature has gone on to victory in Queensland's premier sprint.
Queensland Racing handicappers did not penalise Ortensia for the Stradbroke Handicap following her Glenlogan Park Stud victory but did invoke a little-known condition to lift her, and the Clarry Conners-trained Court, by half a kilogram for ballot purposes.
Under the special clause Ortensia and Court will remain on 49.5 kilograms in the Stradbroke but for balloting purposes handicappers have the discretion of assessing them up to two kilos higher.
Court is now 35th in order of entry with Ortensia at 36 while Court Command is 31st in entry order after receiving a half-kilogram penalty following his Group Three BTC Sprint (1350m) victory at Doomben last Saturday.
Hong Kong-based jockey Zac Purton is the new rider for the Liam Birchley-trained Court Command in the Doomben 10,000 following Glen Colless' decision not to appeal against an eight-meeting careless riding suspension incurred last Saturday.