John Morrisey believes Rockdale will need to produce street-fighter qualities to claim the trainer's third Group One Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm."It's going to be a tough slog over 2400 metres in the wet and he'll sleep well tomorrow night," Morrisey said.Eagle Farm, rated a heavy eight following rain early this week, has received strong criticism from several interstate and local trainers who have declared the track bottomless leading into the Super Saturday meeting.However, the heavy track

John Morrisey believes Rockdale will need to produce street-fighter qualities to claim the trainer's third Group One Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm.

"It's going to be a tough slog over 2400 metres in the wet and he'll sleep well tomorrow night," Morrisey said.

Eagle Farm, rated a heavy eight following rain early this week, has received strong criticism from several interstate and local trainers who have declared the track bottomless leading into the Super Saturday meeting.

However, the heavy track is a positive for Morrisey who has won the Queensland Derby twice with Camarena in 1999 and Lachlan River in 2005.

Morrisey expects Rockdale to lead the Derby field and his only concern is whether the son of Danroad will see out the trip.

"He goes best in the wet so I'm not at all worried by the heavy track and he loves to lead," Morrisey said.

"His big problem is whether he'll run 2400 metres.

"He is a son of Danroad who was a sprinter-miler and the only one I know from the breed that has run 2400 metres was Down The Road who was beaten a nose by Coniston Bluebird in the New Zealand Derby.

"Coniston Bluebird is trained by Bede (Murray) and the horse never measured up in Australia so it's hard to gauge if the breed can stay."

Down The Road was successful on a slow track in the Group Two Championship Stakes (2100m) at Ellerslie prior to the New Zealand Derby in which he stormed home from near the rear of the field to just fail to haul in Coniston Bluebird.

Rockdale struck form at the right time for the Queensland Derby with his last-start win in the Group Three Rough Habit Plate (2020m) at Doomben on May 23.

It was only his second win in 12 months since winning the Group One TJ Smith (1600m) at Eagle Farm on a heavy track last year.

Rockdale campaigned without luck in Melbourne last spring but Morrisey hasn't thought about a return trip this year.

"He went okay when he raced down there last year but I'm not even thinking about it yet and won't until after the Derby," he said.

Rockdale's TJ Smith victory last year enticed Morrisey to send the three-year-old south for the Group One Caulfield Guineas (1600m) but he failed to measure up, finishing sixth to Whobegotyou.

He had four lead-up races for the Caulfield Guineas, including two in Brisbane, which Morrisey now believes was a mistake.

"Those two races I gave him in Brisbane were quite tough on him," he said.

"He was still in front 200 metres out in the Guineas and it was a good run considering he was taken on at the 700 metres.

"The Caulfield Guineas is a high-pressure race and the horse that took him on upset him a little."