Hall Of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse is hopeful of going one up on Mick Price in the battle for this season's Group One training honours with Bank Robber in Saturday's Doomben 10,000.Waterhouse and Price are deadlocked on six wins apiece in the Group One standings with only five races at the elite level remaining this season.Waterhouse has never won Doomben's 1350-metre feature but this year she's confident her luck is about to change."Mick is a good trainer and has done a fabulous job to get six

Hall Of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse is hopeful of going one up on Mick Price in the battle for this season's Group One training honours with Bank Robber in Saturday's Doomben 10,000.

Waterhouse and Price are deadlocked on six wins apiece in the Group One standings with only five races at the elite level remaining this season.

Waterhouse has never won Doomben's 1350-metre feature but this year she's confident her luck is about to change.

"Mick is a good trainer and has done a fabulous job to get six Group Ones," Waterhouse said.

"But it's about time I won this race and I think I've got the horse to do it this year."

The Star Thoroughbreds-syndicated Bank Robber tried valiantly to lead all the way in his Brisbane debut but was edged out by the Anthony Cummings-trained Duporth in the Group One BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 9.

Bank Robber won his only start on a heavy track and has a win and a placing from three attempts on slow tracks.

Two days ago the Doomben meeting was in jeopardy of being washed out following torrential rain and was rated a heavy 10 which was upgraded on Thursday to a heavy nine.

But under sunny skies the track has improved dramatically enough for course manager Warren Williams to boldly predict it could come back to slow by race day if the current weather conditions prevailed.

News of a possible track upgrade to slow stunned Waterhouse who could only trot and canter Bank Robber this week because of the deluge.

"I'll be amazed if it comes back to slow but he (Williams) knows best," Waterhouse said.

"I think Bank Robber will win if it's slow but if it's a quagmire I don't know.

"Bank Robber is very fit. I swam him about 20 laps of the pool this week as we could only trot and canter him with the all the rain they've had in Brisbane."

Waterhouse's best Group One seasons were in 2004-05 and 2006-07 when she claimed 11 wins at the highest level.

"Winning Group One races is what this game is all about," Waterhouse said.

"I don't have the Inghams, Sheikhs or Patinack Farm behind me.

"I don't have any back-up. It's Gai Waterhouse and that's all.

"I employ 75 staff and it's winning Group One races which pays the bills."

Trainer Greg Eurell is hoping Williams' prediction for a slow track is right for Apache Cat who is attempting to become only the fourth horse to win successive Doomben 10,000s.

"He's spot-on for the race and is as fit now as when he won it last year," Eurell said.

"He's never been on a bottomless track before but I'd prefer it if it came back to slow."