It's On The Pocket at carnival crossroads

By Stephen Rodgers

BRISBANE, April 11 AAP - It wasn't an easy decision for trainer Lindsay Gough to geld It's On The Pocket, but it was one borne out of necessity.

Racing as a colt, It's On The Pocket raced three times with his best performance a fourth, beaten 10 lengths, at his first start at Eagle Farm in March last year.

"It wasn't that he was colty but he was being silly and unmanageable because he was too hypo," Gough said.

"One day at the Sunny Coast he threw his head and belted (jockey) Jimmy Byrne in the head and split his eyebrow."

Since being gelded, It's On The Pocket is undefeated in three starts and will stake his claims for a winter carnival campaign in Saturday's Brisbane Racing Club Plate (1350m) at Doomben.

"He's more settled since being gelded and certainly a lot different to what he was as a colt," Gough said.

The remainder of the three-year-old's campaign will become clearer after Saturday's assignment.

"We're at the crossroads in regards to where we head with him and Saturday's race will tell us a lot more," he said.

"I'm not totally convinced he's a Derby horse. I don't know if he'd cope with that hard prep."

Another option Gough is considering is freshening It's On The Pocket after Saturday and aiming him at the Fred Best Classic (1350m) at Doomben on May 18 if his form warrants it.

"He's a lightly-framed horse and I'm just mindful we don't give him a hammering," he said.

"I certainly think he'll be a better horse down the track and if he shows one sign that he's had enough he'll go to the paddock.

"But at this stage he looks great and I can't fault him going into this race."

Rain periods are predicted for Brisbane on Saturday, which is another factor Gough will have to weigh up.

"He's won a couple of times on tracks that were bordering on slow but if it became a heavy 10 then we've got a decision to make," he said.

It's On The Pocket will be ridden by Chris Munce who returned to race riding at Eagle Farm on Wednesday following four months on the sidelines battling throat cancer.