Gerald Ryan is one of several Hollindale Stakes trainers hoping the Gold Coast skies stay clear before Saturday.
The Gold Coast track has had 32mm of rain in the past seven days but more is predicted for the weekend.
Ryan has Angel Of Mercy in the weight-for-age Hollindale and the mare is coming off a most impressive win in the Members’ Cup at Eagle Farm two weeks ago.
Angel Of Mercy rattled off a sensational last 600m in the Members Cup, prompting Ryan to give her a chance at 1800m ahead of a possible a Group One middle-distance task.
“We have also entered her for the Doomben Cup but we won’t make up our mind until after Saturday’s race,” Ryan said.
“If she doesn’t race well she will revert back to the shorter trips in the fillies and mares races.
“One thing she doesn’t want is a wet track. Her best run in the mud was two runs back when third in the Emancipation Stakes at Rosehill but really she wants nothing worse than dead.”
Ryan said Angel Of Mercy had worked strongly on Tuesday morning and he would be disappointed if she didn’t race well, weather permitting.
There are few tougher mares than Angel Of Mercy who is back in Ryan’s care after campaigning in Perth during the summer.
She has raced in four different states and on 15 different racetracks.
Warwick Farm trainer Guy Walter is also hoping the rain stays away for his mare Streama, one of only two horses in the race to have won at weight-for-age.
Streama, who will run in blinkers, has won in heavy going but Walter believes she is better these days on dry tracks.
The mare ran home well at her last-start when fourth in the Group One Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Randwick, indicating she may be looking for 1800m.
Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller also doesn’t want a genuinely wet track for race favourite Junoob and his other runner Moriarty.
Waller, who has won the Hollindale twice with My Kingdom Of Fife and Metal Bender, believes the imported Junoob is superior on dry tracks despite having won in heavy going.
Jockey Nash Rawiller, who won the Cup on My Kingdom Of Fife for Waller in 2011, will test Junoob as his Doomben Cup ride on Saturday.
– AAP