Trainer Phillip Cox is confident Secrets Untold is on track for two black-type victories at Eagle Farm this month, commencing with Saturday's Listed Brisbane Handicap.Cox fielded phone calls from the managers of several riders including Jim Byrne and Shane Scriven to partner the eight-year-old in the 1600-metre feature before deciding to retain Larry Cassidy.Secrets Untold will be striving to avenge last year's Brisbane Handicap performance when runner-up to the Rob Heathcote-trained Our Lukas.T
Trainer Phillip Cox is confident Secrets Untold is on track for two black-type victories at Eagle Farm this month, commencing with Saturday's Listed Brisbane Handicap.
Cox fielded phone calls from the managers of several riders including Jim Byrne and Shane Scriven to partner the eight-year-old in the 1600-metre feature before deciding to retain Larry Cassidy.
Secrets Untold will be striving to avenge last year's Brisbane Handicap performance when runner-up to the Rob Heathcote-trained Our Lukas.
The son of Sequalo then went on to claim the Recognition Stakes (1600m) at Eagle Farm two weeks later, the second Listed feature Cox is targeting later this month.
Cox admitted it was a difficult decision to engage a rider for Secrets Untold but loyalty was the major factor after Cassidy finished second on the gelding behind Rightson in a 1350-metre Quality at Doomben on October 30.
The Barry Baldwin-trained Rightson, who Cox has named as his main Brisbane Handicap danger, won by almost six lengths but Secrets Untold had a tough run after being caught wide.
"Larry wanted to stick with him. He's had two rides on him now for two seconds and the other was behind Beaded in the (Group Three) BRC Sprint during the winter carnival," Cox said.
"Jim Byrne's manager Trevor Lansky rang for the ride as did Shane Scriven but I'm staying loyal to Larry.
"I tried to book Jim (Byrne) for him last start but he had another ride. Jim knows the horse well and won the Recognition Stakes on him last year so it was a difficult decision not to go with him again."
Cox is happy with Secrets Untold's form and believes he's spot-on for the step-up in distance to 1600 metres for the first time this campaign.
However, he was reluctant to declare whether Secrets Untold was in the same form as this time last year.
"It's been a bit of a different campaign for him this time in," Cox said.
"He had four wins in five starts before he ran second in the Brisbane Handicap last year and then won the Recognition.
"We've been mucked around a bit with the weather this time.
"He's had two runs over 1200 metres this campaign then he went to 1350 metres last start and now he's up to the mile.
"But he's ready for the extra trip."
Cox was in awe of Rightson's win last start.
"Rightson is going really well and was very impressive the way he won last start," Cox said.
"But he had a cushy run in front last time and he may not get it all his own way this time."
Secrets Untold made his comeback at Doomben in September when he ran fourth to fellow Toowoomba sprinter Rothera before finishing eighth to The Sixties in an unsuitable 1200-metre Open at Eagle Farm last month.
Rothera's form stood up during the spring in Melbourne where he claimed the Group Three Betfair Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on October 16.