Friday, 17 August 2012:
Tatt's Mile winner Hour Of Peril has been pigeon-holed as a wet track specialist but the Patinack Farm stable believes he is versatile enough to cope with a dry surface at Doomben on Saturday.
After a prolonged period of wet weather during the winter carnival, Brisbane has been in the grip of a dry spell, prompting Brisbane Racing Club track maintenance staff to add 15mm of irrigation in the past week.
Hour Of Peril was the beneficiary of a wet winter carnival, recording a first-up victory in heavy going at the Gold Coast in May as well as winning the Listed Tatt's Mile at Eagle Farm last month.
Those successes cemented his "wet tracker" reputation with many punters, but earlier in his career the gelding demonstrated his versatility by winning on dead and good-rated surfaces.
"There's no doubt he likes wet tracks but we think he's also effective on top of the ground," stable foreman Brett Killion said.
The real key to Hour Of Peril's success, Killion believes, is riding the five-year-old quietly which enables him to unleash his trademark barnstorming finish.
"You saw how effective he was ridden that way at the Gold Coast when Jimmy Cassidy came from last on him," Killion said.
"He showed it again when Jeff Lloyd sat last on him in the Tatt's Mile before he charged home along the fence to win. It's just how he prefers to race."
Hour Of Peril has not raced since his Tatt's Mile win on July 21 due to a low-grade virus which ruled him out of the Coffs Harbour Cup earlier this month.
"He had to miss about four days work but he's bounced back pretty quickly and is as good as ever," Killion said.
The gelding is opposed to only five rivals in the Mount Franklin Handicap (1600m) but Killion is unconcerned the small line-up could result in a muddling tempo.
"Whenever you get a small field everyone says there's no pace and then when they jump out of the barriers they go hell for leather so we'll just see how it unfolds," he said.
Hour Of Peril's stablemate Saint Encosta will contest the Canadian Club Handicap (2100m) after he ended a long absence from the winning list at Doomben on August 4, his first victory since March last year and only his third in 34 starts.
"He's in a great frame of mind and is going every bit as good now as he was before he won at Doomben," Killion said.
"He's a nice, big strong horse so the extra weight shouldn't really worry him."
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