Captain Sonador could run his last race at the Gold Coast

Captain Sonador will be running for his career when he takes to the track in the Prime Minister’s Cup at the Gold Coast this Saturday.

The four-year-old entire finished a disappointing last in the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap last start on a Heavy rated track.

Trainer Roger Milne had originally planned to send Captain Sonador to the Doomben 10,000 and the Stradbroke Handicap in the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival before retiring him to stand at the Raheen Stud at Warwick.

However, should he not run well in Saturday’s race, Captain Sonador will most likely bypass the winter carnival altogether and go straight into retirement.

“The owners have decided to give him an extra run during the winter before he goes to stud,” Milne said.

“The jury is out with him as the owners feel he’s been cheating a little.

“They’ve decided to give him this extra run, so long as the track is okay, but if he doesn’t run well this time then he’ll probably be retired straight away.”

The trainer is confident that Captain Sonador’s last run was not a good indication of his true ability.

“It was a non-event,” Milne said.

“He travelled well until he was asked to let down but he couldn’t let down in the going.

“Luke said he didn’t want to knock him about in case he was going to run in the All-Aged Stakes.

“I thought about the All-Aged but gave it a miss when the track was wet again.”

Milne will decide on whether or not to run Captain Sonador after he watches him work on Thursday morning.

“I’ll know more on Thursday if he’s running or not,” he said.

“If he doesn’t run he’ll start in the BTC Sprint on Saturday week before the 10,000 and Stradbroke.”

Milne will be keeping his fingers crossed for a dry track, with Captain Sonador having struggled on rain-affected tracks in the past.

“I thought his run was good in the George Ryder and it was just the heavy track why he ran so bad in the Doncaster,” Milne said.

Captain Sonador has won six of his 30 race starts during his career and has earned $741,000 in prize money.