Luke Price will wait until Count De Rupee returns from a spell before deciding whether to continue his pursuit of a slot in The Everest.
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A torrid campaign came to a soggy end at Eagle Farm on Saturday, the gelding finishing 12th in a wet Doomben 10,000.
He has now been sent to the paddock for a rest.
Having failed to match it with the sport's top sprinters throughout the preparation, an Everest slot looks unlikely.
Price has options for the spring, with a number of feature miles also on the cards.
"He'll have a long spell and give him as long as he needs," Price said. "From the start of the prep we'll reassess and see how he comes up."
While an Everest slot may be increasingly unlikely, there are a number of lucrative sprint features on offer.
The Sydney Stakes, run on Everest day is worth $500,000, while the $1 million Nature Strip Stakes is two weeks later. He could then finish his prep in The Gong at Kembla Grange.
Alternatively, Price could attack the mile from the outset, with the Epsom Handicap-Cantala Stakes double providing two shots at Group 1 glory in Sydney and Melbourne.
"I'll never say never about The Everest, there's still going to be horses looking for slots,'' he said. ''We just have to make sure he's going good when the time's right."
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Cameron Mee
Sports reporter at the Canberra Times
Sports reporter at the Canberra Times
