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Toowoomba sprinters Poor Judge and Rothera's Epsom Handicap plans were in disarray following the pair's failure at Eagle Farm.
Toowoomba sprinters Poor Judge and Rothera's Epsom Handicap plans were thrown into disarray following the pair's failure at Eagle Farm.
Poor Judge, having his first start since tailing the field in the Listed Weetwood Handicap on his home track in March, fared the better of the pair, finishing strongly for fifth to veteran sprinter Anyways in Saturday's www.brc.com.au Handicap (1200m).
Rothera struggled home in last place, seven lengths away.
TheKelso Wood-trained Anyways, the oldest runner in the race at nine, edged out Craiglea Falcon for a short neck victory.
Joint Chiefs filled the minor placing a further 2-1/4 lengths away.
Trainer Ben Currie was dumbfounded with Rothera's performance when he failed to pass another runner.
"I'm very disappointed and I don't know what to say," Currie said.
"On that effort his Sydney trip is a long way off but I'll see how he is when I take him back home."
Rothera's jockey, apprentice Jason Letherby, offered no excuses and was also stunned by the gelding's lack of effort.
"He just went one pace. I thought he'd at least run on well but he didn't do a thing," Letherby said.
Rothera was having his first start since winning the Listed Tattersall's Members' Cup on a heavy track at Eagle Farm in March.
Trainer Wayne Nugent saddled up Poor Judge for only the second time in the six-year-old's career since he was transferred from Norm Hilton.
Under Hilton, Poor Judge won last year's Weetwood Handicap and later earned a Melbourne trip, finishing third in the Group One Toorak Handicap at Caulfield before claiming the Group Three Chatham Stakes on a heavy track at Flemington in October.
The son of Royal Academy lost form in his next campaign, finishing last in three successive starts including this year's Weetwood.
"My first impression was he was very disappointing," Nugent said.
"I thought he would find the line better than he did.
"On that effort you'd have to think his Epsom trip is in big doubt."
Nugent admitted he was still getting to know Poor Judge but felt he had been working well enough to be a winning chance first-up.
"I'll take him home now and see how he pulls up but it'll be hard to take him to Sydney," he said.
"His first-up runs are not normally his best so perhaps I'll give him another chance before deciding about Sydney."
Meanwhile, trainer Paul Nolan and jockey Chris Munce are having second thoughts about a Group Three Newcastle Cup (2300m) start for Fantastic Blue despite the gelding's easy two-length win over Secrets Untold in the brisbanetimes.com.au Handicap (2125m).
Nolan said he would be advised by Munce whether the five-year-old should start in Thursday week's feature.
"The worst decisions are made at the racetrack," Munce said.
"I'll think about it before talking again to Paul but it will be a different ball game at Newcastle.
"But he's in form and he did a good job."