Desleigh refuses to give up on Doomben
TRAINER Desleigh Forster is hoping things go smoother for Too Good For Refuse at Doomben tomorrow as the stakes winner heads one of her strongest representations at a race meeting.
Too Good To Refuse will run in the Open Handicap (1350m), while Forster also has good chances Archade (2YO Handicap), I’m Belucci (Benchmark 85), Malvern Estate (Class 6), and Chapter and Verse (3YO Handicap) entered.
Too Good To Refuse hasn’t won since claiming the Listed Keith Noud Quality at Eagle Farm in December 2016.
But he hasn’t been racing badly and has been placed in black-type races three times since the win and taken his earnings past $500,000.
Forster feels that, like many horses, Too Good To Refuse ($6) hasn’t been suited by the long-running Eagle Farm closure but gets his chance tomorrow.
“His get-back racing style means he just isn’t suited at Doomben but there should be pace on Saturday,” the Brisbane-based Forster said.
It was one of the reasons Forster held Too Good To Refuse back from the main part of the winter carnival.
She took Too Good To Refuse to Rockhampton for his last start in the $100,000 Newmarket looking for a bigger track.
A freak weather event threw plans into disarray on and off the course.
Firstly, Too Good To Refuse’s jockey James Orman was one of many delayed when planes could not land at Rockhampton.
The race was put back an hour but even so Orman was getting changed as he ran through the racetrack gates to weigh out.
The track had chopped up and Orman was forced to bring Too Good To Refuse down the outside fence to finish third.
“I told him to go out there and it nearly came off but the first two were leaders hard up against the fence,” Forster said.
“Too Good To Refuse prefers good tracks but can handle the wet. It was just one of those things”.
Twice Group 1-placed I’m Belucci, who has been on the comeback trail after injury, was a solid second at Doomben three weeks ago.
“He is getting fitter,” Forster said of the $8 chance.
HIS GET-BACK RACING STYLE MEANS HE JUST ISN’T SUITED AT DOOMBEN DESLEIGH FORSTER