Mirage Dancer (Image: Racing Photos)
A fear he could simply be wasting a run has seen trainer Trent Busuttin withdraw last year's Caulfield Cup placegetter Mirage Dancer from Saturday's crucial MRC Foundation Cup.
Mirage Dancer already had topweight of 61 kilograms in the race but when he drew barrier 13, Busuttin figured the import was destined to be set a near-impossible task.
"There's nothing wrong at all with the horse but with the topweight of 61kg coupled with that barrier draw (13), basically we were going to have a nothing run," he said.
"We wouldn't push him forward from that draw and get up and try to slot in because that just wouldn't happen, so we'd end up going right back with 61kg and he'd have to loop around the field and he'd run a good sixth or seventh.
"He's a seven-year-old stallion and if he just keeps following them around every start and just gets into the pack, they can very quickly switch off.
"You don't want to be going to the races knowing that your horse is not a real chance and putting all your eggs into a Caulfield Cup basket.
"Don't get me wrong, he'll run very well in the Caulfield Cup, but we want to be picking up some stakes every time we step out."
Busuttin said he didn't have to look too far into the calendar for another suitable race.
"We're now looking at the JRA Cup, which is a Group 3 2000-metre race worth $200,000 at The Valley next Friday night and we'll just hope for a softer draw," he said.
"From there we can go three weeks into a Caulfield Cup or if I think he needs another run, we can go to the Caulfield Stakes and back-up into the Caulfield Cup.
"I know he's backed up well as he did last campaign in Sydney from The BMW to the Chairman's Handicap."
Busuttin still has plenty to look forward to on Saturday with runners across the card, including in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes where his Blue Diamond Stakes winner Tagaloa lines up against the older horses for the first time.