Trainer Noel Doyle is still searching for answers behind Celtic Dancer’s uncharacteristic last-start failure and is hoping blinkers will spark a form turnaround at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Doyle is also hoping a return to apprentice Tim Bell, who replaces Scott Galloway, on Celtic Dancer will boost the four-year-old’s claims in the Better Build Constructions Handicap (1200m).
Doyle went back to the drawing board in search of a reason for Celtic Dancer’s dismal 10th to Poor Judge over 1400 metres at Eagle Farm on October 22.
“It’s still a mystery what went wrong,” Doyle said.
“I had the vet go all over him and there’s nothing wrong with him and his blood count has come back good.
“He’s been in perfect order since the run.”
Doyle decided not to start Celtic Dancer when he nominated him for Doomben last week and instead experimented with blinkers in a 1000-metre barrier trial at the Gold Coast on Tuesday.
“I put the blinkers on him to try to smarten him up and it worked a treat,” Doyle said.
“He won the trial by a couple of lengths and he did what he should have done last start.
“It’s not the first time he’s worn blinkers. I had them on him early in his career but I took them off when I thought he no longer needed them.”
Doyle is hoping Bell, who is the Queensland stable rider for Patinack Farm, can encourage the best out of Celtic Dancer ahead of his summer campaign.
“Some horses go better for certain jockeys and Tim did a good job on him at his previous start when he ran third at Eagle Farm,” Doyle said.
“I thought his run that day behind Falino was enormous and he’s done well since.”
Doyle believes Celtic Dancer’s assignment could be pivotal to where he heads during the summer carnival.
“I’ll see how he goes on Saturday but I’m not sure where he’s headed at the moment,” he said.
“Ultimately I’d like to run him in the Magic Millions Cup in January but he may run in the first two legs of the summer series races at Doomben.”
The Doomben summer series kicks off next month with the Group Three George Moore Stakes (1200m) followed by the Listed Lough Neagh Stakes (1350m) and Listed Bernborough Handicap (1615m).
Doyle is confident the addition of blinkers will see Celtic Dancer produce a vastly-improved performance and rates the Rob Heathcote-trained Excellantes as the main threat.
AAP TURF
