Canberra trainer Paul Jones is hoping Al Ahmar's comfortable Defence Force Cup (2000 metres) win is enough to convince the eight-year-old's owners to have a crack at next month's Queanbeyan Cup (2000m).
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With only a field of five jumping in the Defence Force Cup, Queanbeyan Racing chief executive Brendan Comyn will consider cutting it back to a 1600m race to try and attract a bigger field next year, which could also make it a lead-up race to the Queanbeyan Cup.
Jones felt Al Ahmar's victory at Queanbeyan was good enough to push on to Queanbeyan's feature race on November 29, which he felt the son of Al Maher should have won last year.
Cuban Star set the pace in the Defence Force Cup until the home turn, when Bruadar started to press around the outside.
Every runner looked to have a chance in the home straight but apprentice jockey Carly Frater timed her run perfectly on Al Ahmar as the gelding split the field to salute comfortably, a length in front of Bruadar, with Cuban Star hanging on for third.
Jones wanted to push on towards the Queanbeyan Cup before giving Al Ahmar a spell to prepare for next year's Gundagai Cup (1800m), which the middle-distancer is looking to win for the third straight year.
"This race was pending whether we go to the paddock now or whether we keep him in for an extra three weeks and go for the Queanbeyan Cup," he said.
"Given running well here today, I might get enough support from the owners and talk them into going for another three or four weeks.
"Then he can have a four or five-week spell and get set for the Gundagai Cup."
Comyn wanted to have the Defence Force Cup as part of the day's quadrella, but it was shifted forward in the program to race three because of the small field.
He said there weren't enough 2000-metre horses and thought a drop back in distance would help get more entries.
With this year's Queanbeyan Cup a month after it, it could then become a lead-up race for their premier event.
"We'll consider the mile next year for sure, purely and simply just to try and increase the numbers to try and make it an each-way betting proposition," Comyn said.
"That really should be, with the prestige if you like of the race, it really should be a leg of the quaddie, but with five or six entries, no you can't do that.
"There's not enough 2000-metre horses around, which is a shame."
Queanbeyan legend Frank Cleary enjoyed a running double with Punton Sunny and then That's Freedom both saluting.
