Longford trainer Bill Ryan says he is "caught between a rock and a hard place" with class galloper Speed Force.
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The seven-year-old returned from a spell to win with 61.5kg at Mowbray on Wednesday night and Ryan fears his days as a handicapper may be over.
"It's going to be difficult in handicaps from now on because he'll get a lot of weight," Ryan said.
"So we might have to re-think and look at the weight-for-age races.
"He's too old now to worry about going to Melbourne - just like his trainer."
Speed Force raced in many of the major handicaps last season, finishing second to Eastender in the Devonport Cup and a handy sixth to the same horse in the Launceston Cup.
He then won his next three starts including the Tasmanian St Leger over 2600m.
Despite the fact that the gelding was resuming over 1400m on Wednesday night, Brendon McCoull was able to position him outside the leader and he proved too strong in the run home.
It was the first time Speed Force has won first-up but Ryan has learned never to underestimate him.
"He's a bloody good horse - he's won a dozen races - and good horses can do those sort of things," Ryan said.
"I didn't think he could beat my other runner Speedonova with the 7.5kg difference in weight but he was just too good."
Speedonva looked the likely winner when she got up on the rails in the home straight but her run peaked.
"She'll be competitive in the good mares' races over the carnival if we space her runs," Ryan predicted
IN-FORM TOKER EYES SPREYTON
Jockey Ismail Toker will be looking to build on a successful return to racing when he takes six rides at Spreyton on Sunday.
Toker spent five months on the sidelines while he took a holiday in his native Turkey and served out a suspension but hasn't taken long to regain top form.
He rode his first comeback winner at Mowbray nine days ago and followed up with a winning double and photo-finish second from five rides at Mowbray on Wednesday night.
One of his winners, Banca Nip, is trained by Rowan Hamer and they will team up on Sunday with Vocab in the Maiden Plate over 1350m.
Vocab has been unplaced at her three starts but is yet to run a bad race and could be suited by a return to her home track.
Her last-start fifth to Our Little Ted was a sound effort as jockey Siggy Carr had to go back early to get in from a wide barrier.
Although Vocab didn't trouble the placegetters she finished off nicely and would have grabbed fourth in another stride.
The five-year-old Wordsmith mare is yet to race at Spreyton but was an easy trial winner on the synthetic surface in September beating Dubai Sky who won his maiden five days later.
Toker's other winner on Wednesday night was the Liandra Gray-trained Mywordis who impressed with a barnstoirming finish in the 3YO Maiden.
YOLE STABLE'S 42 BURNIE RUNNERS
Coming off doubles at both Devonport and Mowbray last weekend, leading trainer Ben Yole has 42 of the 71 acceptors for Burnie on Friday night.
Five of his horses were among the team that campaigned in Victoria in recent months and have just returned home.
They include Machitelli who, despite a 10m handicap, looks hard to beat in the Lottah Mining Stakes.
The five-year-old mare looked a potential topliner when she first arrived from Queensland in April.
She ran a close second to the talented I Wanna Rock at her Tasmanian debut then beat another smart horse, Peaceful Thomas, by 17m at her next start.
Although she didn't quite go on with the job, she did win another race at Mowbray in July before heading to Victoria where she had 14 starts for wins at Cranbourne and Bendigo.
Yole has given Machitelli two standing start trials in preparation for this week's race which will be her first from behind the tapes.
She galloped out in a trial at Carrick last week, but still won, then travelled to Burnie on Monday night for another standing-start trial where she led and won again.
Her obvious danger is Resolute Ruler for Wesley Vale trainer John Castles. She has won only one race but was beaten less than 7m when sixth in the $50,000 Bandbox Stakes final.