Trainer Brian Smith won’t be writing off his winter carnival ambitions with Arctic if the promising three-year-old is beaten again at Doomben on Saturday.
Arctic has drawn barrier 13 and will come into 11 if the emergencies don’t secure starts in the Inghams Handicap (1600m).
Smith is hopeful Arctic can emerge as a serious winter carnival contender and has pencilled in the Group Two Queensland Guineas (1400m) at Eagle Farm in June as a possible target.
However, the former Kiwi trainer has been frustrated with bad barriers with Arctic who finished fourth from barrier 10 to Viking Heart at Doomben last start.
The son of Rock Of Gibraltar looked ultra-impressive when winning his maiden on a heavy track at Eagle Farm last month before a third in Class 1 company at Caloundra 11 days later.
“It was only a fair run last start and I’m sick of the bad barriers he’s getting,” Smith said.
“He’s got 13 this time and he’ll need to do a lot of work to overcome it from the bad 1600-metre start at Doomben.
“I’m very disappointed with his draw. He gets back but he’ll still be five lengths worse off from the draw.
“Whatever happens I’m not going to judge him on this run.”
Arctic is a close relative of the Frank Tagg-owned Circles Of Gold who won the Group One AJC Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick in 1995.
Smith was the trainer of Tagg’s horses for more than a decade and was largely responsible for the purchase of Circles Of Gold as a yearling in 1993.
Circles of Gold, a six-time winner of almost $1 million in prize money, was runner-up to Arctic Scent in the 1996 Caulfield Cup.
As a broodmare, Circles Of Gold produced multiple Group One winners Elvstroem and Haradasun.
Smith has only two other Doomben runners, Jasminka in the Jae My Holdings Open Handicap (1350m) and Za Magic in the Brisbane Screenprinting and Displays Open Handicap (2000m).
Jasminka has been struggling to regain her best form with four failures this campaign while Za Magic is racing well with a win and a third from his past two starts.
The six-year-old landed his first win since his Listed Sunshine Coast Guineas victory at Caloundra in June 2009 when he led all the way at Doomben on January 28.
Za Magic then tried to repeat the feat but was overhauled when third to Winmara over 2136 metres at Eagle Farm on February 11.
