Weight’s right for Bush Caviar in battle

Trainer Desleigh Forster hopes her father, country trainer Henry Forster, can win big in town.

The trickiest part of assessing form for the Battle of The Bush Final is lining up the weights but trainer Henry Forster might have found the key.

Forster, who comes from the central western Queensland town of Illfracombe, has veteran Bush Caviar in the $125,000 final at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Bush Caviar has been in Brisbane for a week and stabled with Forster’s daughter, Desleigh Forster, at Eagle Farm.

Desleigh Forster, a keen weights student, thinks her father may have been able to get the veteran gelding into the race well off against some of his main rivals.

Bush Caviar ran second to Mason’s Chance in the inaugural Battle Of The Bush final at Doomben last year.

The gelding has won three races since but qualified for the final when second to Fab’s Cowboy in the Cunnamulla heat.

Fab’s Cowboy had already qualified by winning a heat at Gladstone earlier in the series.

The winner of 30 races, Fab’s Cowboy has been ridden in his past six races by claiming apprentice Minonette Kennedy but senior jockey Dan Ballard takes over at Eagle Farm.

“The last time he met Fab’s Cowboy after they claimed Dad’s horse actually gave him three kilos,” Desleigh Forster said.

“This time he has to give us three-and-a-half kilos. And dad put Bush Caviar in another heat where he had 64.5 kilos and ran fourth.”

“But he drops six kilos on that run.”

Henry Forster is a big fan of the Battle Of The Bush series and hopes it continues for years.

“Only two horses from out here (Illfracombe) have qualified, Bush Caviar and Kakakenny,” he said.

“We both qualified last year so it is good for our area. It is a chance for some big money for bush trainers.”

Rival trainer David Reynolds believes the consistent Music Scene has a genuine chance to win the Final after beating favourites Fab’s Cowboy and Marksfield in the Goondiwindi heat three weeks ago.

“He is very consistent but does have a habit of running second. We call him the Tom Melbourne of the country,” Reynolds said.

Music Scene has won seven races and run 19 seconds, many by narrow margins.