The weather will determine whether AJC Australian Derby placegetter Predatory Pricer start in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes next Saturday.
Bart Cummings has confirmed Derby winner Roman Emperor as a starter but a frustrated Paul Murray can see his plans for Predatory Pricer being washed away.
"If it's slow we won'trun him and he'll go to the paddock," Murray said.
"He should have won a group one by now but the weather and tracks have stopped him."
Predatory Pricer is a half brother to sprinting marvel Takeover Target but has always shown he has the makings of a horse which can cover ground.
Rain has been forecast in Sydney until Thursday.
Predatory Pricer was blocked for a run when third in the AJC Australian Derby (2400m) on April 11.
"That was a massive run. He got held up for two strides and it cost him the race," Murray said. "He's pulled up enormous, it's as though he didn't go around the other day.
"If he does run on Saturday he'll be very hard to stop."
Predatory Pricer finished six lengths second to Sousa on a slow track at Randwick in the Spring Champion Stakes last year in his first tilt at group one level.
He has never won on anything worse than a dead surface and because of a combination of unsuitable tracks and bad luck has not won since his group three Gloaming Stakes (1800m) triumph in September last year.
Cummings has few concerns about the wet track for Roman Emperor to again be ridden by Jim Cassidy who will forego the mount on dual group one winner Vision And Power if he runs in the 2000m feature.
Cassidy had already committed to Roman Emperor before Saturday's Doncaster win by Vision And Power who will now be ridden by Nash Rawiller.
Trainer Joe Pride said he would monitor Vision And Power over the next couple of days before confirming a Queen Elizabeth start.
One factor in Vision And Power's favour would be a soft track, with the 6-year-old winning five of his eight starts on heavy ground. Meanwhile, trainer Guy Walter has the Queensland Derby in mind for Orca, who was beaten by stablemate Yallingup in the group three Frank Packer Plate at Randwick on Saturday.
Orca spoilt his winning chance by becoming fractious in the barriers and being backed out.
