Trainer Pat Duff will be busy giving instructions to three riders in the Thiess Handicap at Eagle Farm but apprentice Owen Turpin will be the one most under pressure.Turpin has earned rave reviews with his recent performances and will be legged aboard topweight Hard To Catch for the first time in Saturday's 1300-metre sprint.Duff has decided to start Hard To Catch despite a horror barrier draw and the seven-year-old receiving 61 kilograms from the handicapper.Hard To Catch, who scored with 59 ki

Trainer Pat Duff will be busy giving instructions to three riders in the Thiess Handicap at Eagle Farm but apprentice Owen Turpin will be the one most under pressure.

Turpin has earned rave reviews with his recent performances and will be legged aboard topweight Hard To Catch for the first time in Saturday's 1300-metre sprint.

Duff has decided to start Hard To Catch despite a horror barrier draw and the seven-year-old receiving 61 kilograms from the handicapper.

Hard To Catch, who scored with 59 kilograms for Brad Stewart in the Gold Coast Stakes (1200m) on March 11, will jump from the outside of the field, barrier 18.

Hard To Catch's Gold Coast victory was the gelding's 13th in a career spanning 56 starts.

As well as Hard To Catch, Duff will start Cocktail Supreme, a Michael Hellyer mount, despite drawing barrier 15 while Victory Code, from gate one, will again be ridden by Mandy Radecker.

"With so much weight I decided to claim on Hard To Catch and he'll now carry one kilo less than what he won with at the Gold Coast last start," Duff said.

"He's got a bad barrier but he's got to start as there's not much else around for him here."

Duff said Turpin would have little option from his wide draw but to drop back and allow Hard To Catch to run home.

Hard To Catch was runner-up to Mr Baritone in the Group One Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm last June and finished eighth to Theseo in the Group One Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick in October.

Duff is now toying with another campaign in Sydney with Hard To Catch who will be on trial for a start in the Group One Doncaster (1600m) at Randwick on April 18.

"If he goes well tomorrow I might whip him down to Sydney for the George Ryder and Doncaster," Duff said.

"If he managed to strike a wet track in either he'd be a good chance."

The Group One George Ryder Stakes (1500m) will be run at Rosehill on April 4.

Turpin, 21, is apprenticed to trainer Frank Phillips at Caloundra and has held a city licence for only six months.

He first started as a 15-year-old with trainer Robbie Heathcote after completing Year 10 at Brisbane's Iona College.

A keen sportsman, Turpin has received advice from many in the racing industry but rates Phillips as the biggest influence on his career while former champion jockey Larry Olsen has also been a strong guiding force behind the scenes.