A wet track is likely to delay trainer Brian Smith's hopes of evaluating whether General Purple can measure up as a Brisbane winter carnival contender at Eagle Farm.Steady rain has forced Eagle Farm to be downgraded to a slow (6) and the prospect of an upgrade appears remote with more rain forecast.General Purple will be chasing successive wins in Saturday's Listed Falvelon Handicap (1200m) following his decisive all-the-way first-up victory at Eagle Farm two weeks ago.Smith declared the Brisban

A wet track is likely to delay trainer Brian Smith's hopes of evaluating whether General Purple can measure up as a Brisbane winter carnival contender at Eagle Farm.

Steady rain has forced Eagle Farm to be downgraded to a slow (6) and the prospect of an upgrade appears remote with more rain forecast.

General Purple will be chasing successive wins in Saturday's Listed Falvelon Handicap (1200m) following his decisive all-the-way first-up victory at Eagle Farm two weeks ago.

Smith declared the Brisbane winter carnival was on the radar for General Purple following the gelding's successful comeback and rated the Falvelon Handicap an ideal race to gauge his future prospects.

"It's a shame but I won't run him on a track any worse than a slow six," Smith said.

"The forecast isn't good so I doubt he'll go around but I won't make up my mind until tomorrow."

While not backing away from a possible winter campaign, Smith is reluctant to get too carried away with General Purple's recent triumph.

"It's up in the air whether he's starting but he needs to win a race like this before we start to dream of anything bigger," Smith said.

Smith conceded he was surprised when General Purple showed unusual gate speed to lead throughout in his comeback victory last start.

"It did surprise me to see him lead first-up but he did have a bad alley and they walked up front," he said.

"It was a terrific win and he's now shown he can be very adaptable.

"He has come back stronger and better than ever this campaign and he pulled up terrific following his last run.

"I was thinking of running him in another race tomorrow but he's done so well I accepted with him in the stronger race."

Smith has refused to rule out an interstate trip for General Purple who is a seven-time winner from 34 starts.

Trainer Steve O'Dea also doesn't want to see more rain for Bianca Jewel, who failed at her only start on a heavy track in the Group Three Vo Rogue Plate at Doomben on Boxing Day 2010.

"She's had a go before in the wet and hasn't handled it too well," he said.

"I liked her last run when she ran third at Eagle Farm after being caught three wide.

"I'm not targeting anything specifically with her but hopefully she can measure up to Listed and Group Three races."

Bianca Jewel was retired to stud last year but failed to get in foal when served by Darley's Group One-winning sire Denman and returned to O'Dea's stable to continue her racetrack career.