Connections of Predatory Pricer have decided against a Stradbroke Handicap mission and will instead save the multiple stakeswinner's return until the spring.The half-brother to champion sprinter Takeover Target hasn't raced since he was injured when beaten as favourite in last year's Caulfield Cup.The four-year-old stretched a suspensory in his off-side foreleg and was ruled out for the remainder of the spring carnival as well as the autumn.Trainer Paul Murray said connections seriously consider

Connections of Predatory Pricer have decided against a Stradbroke Handicap mission and will instead save the multiple stakeswinner's return until the spring.

The half-brother to champion sprinter Takeover Target hasn't raced since he was injured when beaten as favourite in last year's Caulfield Cup.

The four-year-old stretched a suspensory in his off-side foreleg and was ruled out for the remainder of the spring carnival as well as the autumn.

Trainer Paul Murray said connections seriously considered a return for the Group One Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 12 but that has now been ruled out to give the entire more time.

"He's been at home since we got back from the Caulfield Cup and he has just been yarded and looked after," Murray said.

"Now he's just been swimming and walking for the past three weeks and is just having a very light preparation.

"Jonathan Lumsden (from the Randwick Equine Centre) came down on Thursday and had a look at him. They took x-rays last Tuesday and gave us the all clear, everything is good. They just want to give him a little bit more time."

Murray said the four-year-old would have a light preparation without racing then go for another little break before returning to work in May to start the build-up to the spring.

"We haven't got a spring plan for him yet because we thought we'd get to the Stradbroke first, but in the next couple of weeks we'll have to sit down and think about it," Murray said.

"I'd probably like to leave him in Sydney this spring and I'd like to just sprint him over 1400 metres to a mile (1600m).

"I just want to keep him to the sprint races where we don't have to do as much work and we can give him a lot of swimming and keep him off his joints."

If he is kept to shorter distances in the spring in Sydney, his Group One options could be limited.

The only Group One options for him in Sydney would be the George Main Stakes and Epsom Handicap, both over 1600m at Randwick.

"He probably could (get to an Epsom), that's not out of the ruling because it's a mile but we're just going to sit down and talk about it," the trainer said.

Predatory Pricer has won four of his 17 starts including the Group Two Liston Stakes, Group Three Gloaming Stakes and Listed Ming Dynasty Quality.

He has also been placed four times at Group One level including the Underwood Stakes and Turnbull Stakes last spring.