(Rod Gallegos is a senior presenter with Sky Racing and Sky Sports Radio.)

This year, the Brisbane winter carnival has been unique in more ways than one. Black Caviar lured a record crowd to Doomben for the BTC Cup and an even greater public response was expected for the Doomben 10,000 this Saturday.

Unfortunately, from the promoter's point of view, the equine bastion of beauty, Black Caviar, won't be there because trainer Peter Moody has elected to rest the mare. Fortunately, though, the void left by this magnificent mare has been filled effortlessly by the gilt-edged gelding Hay List.

It's rare to lose, as a drawcard, the world's best sprinter and have the second best in the world poised to step into the breach.

There is no doubt that if Black Caviar had not raced earlier this year we would be hailing Hay List as a world beater over sprint courses.

With regard to Saturday's race, as much as I hate taking short odds, Hay List does look a good thing under the WFA conditions of the 10,000.

However, if you share my aversion to short-priced runners, have something each-way on Border Rebel. He is a durable country-trained gelding and as honest as the day is long.

And in the Grand Prix Stakes, Equissential steadily has been risen in distance to the point where he may be competitive at 2200 metres. From the inside gate he certainly will be prominent for a long way. 

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THE apparent success of the winter carnival so far aside, the Brisbane authorities may want to take a leaf out of the book being formulated for the Sydney format in the spring of alternating feature races between two tracks of Randwick and Rosehill.

With two merged clubs in Brisbane a similar program could be instituted for the winter carnival. It perplexes me that the Doomben Cup now precedes the 10,000. 

For instance, what would be wrong with running the 10,000 at Doomben on one Saturday, the QTC Cup at Eagle Farm the next, followed by the Doomben Cup and then the Stradbroke?

Understandably a horse has been unable to win the QTC Cup and Stradbroke Handicap in the one year because the two races are on successive Saturdays. With a fortnight break it would make the task easier and may be more fortuitous for everyone.

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A PUSH for lifting the minimum weights to 53 kilograms in races Australia-wide has considerable merit. Jockeys these days are just built bigger than their counterparts of the past.

It is hard to fully appreciate the trauma and torment the jockeys have to endure to keep their weight down and an extra kilogram would make life just a little bit more bearable. 

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THE Melbourne Racing Club and Patinack Farm can't be accused of timidity.

Earlier this year a $1million bonus for a horse winning three legs of the Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Series was offered for the first time and the prize was scooped up by Sepoy, which was only the fourth to achieve the feat following Rancher, Midnight Fever and Bel Esprit.

Undeterred by Sepoy winning the inaugural bonus the MRC again will offer a $1million bonus for next year. Nominations for the Blue Diamond close at 3pm on July 5.