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Former top jockey Kevin Moses believes he has made the right decision with the only horse in training by keeping him for the Hawkesbury meeting on Thursday.
Moses made the decision to bypass a Canterbury engagement on Wednesday with Quick Finance to run the Denman three-year-old in The Chairman's Mile C2 Handicap (1600m) at Hawkesbury with the in-form Blake Shinn as his rider.
"I had Quick Finance in at Canterbury but thought there were a couple of others who would be too hard to beat," Moses said.
"The outside barrier in a field of nine isn't great for him at Hawkesbury but I feel it's a more suitable race."
Quick Finance is raced by a syndicate including Moses' wife Jenny and son Darren and put Sydney's former riding premiership winner back in the winner's circle when successful in a C1 over 1400m at Kembla Grange on June 1.
He subsequently finished a close second to Doctor Zous in a BM 64 (1350m) at Wyong when the gelding's rider Jackson Morris unsuccessfully protested against the winner, alleging interference approaching the 150m.
"Quick Finance was very unlucky. I was disappointed he didn't get the protest result," Moses said.
"I've only got the one horse in work. Our other horse Niccolance had too many problems and was retired.
"Quick Finance is a lovely quiet horse and I ride him in most of his work."
Moses closed the door on a successful riding career which included three Sydney premierships after breaking a wrist and elbow in a Randwick spill in 2000.
He took up training and won the G1 Sydney Cup in 2008 with the mudlark No Wine No Song after the gelding had finished third in the same race the previous year.
There will be more than a touch of irony if Quick Finance can notch another victory for Moses as he hasn't had a starter at Hawkesbury since November of 2015.
He is returning to the track where his representative Felix Bay was disqualified after being found to have an elevated level of cobalt in its system after finishing unplaced in 2015.
He was found not guilty of administering the substance but still received a 12 months' disqualification from Racing NSW stewards that.
The disqualification was reduced to a fine on appeal to the Racing NSW Appeals Panel but the penalty was subsequently reinstated by the Racing Appeals Tribunal.
Newcastle trainer Jason Deamer also withdrew Decroux from a BM 74 (1900m) at Canterbury because of an outside draw and will be a rival for Quick Finance.
Decroux, a Lope De Vega four-year-old, has been runner-up at his past three starts, the last two at Hawkesbury on June 9 and 25 over 1500m and 1600m.
Christian Reith rode him in both Hawkesbury races and has the mount again.
Another Canterbury absentee to run on her home track on Thursday is the Brad Widdup-trained Lagarde (Tommy Berry) in the Killahy Equine Benchmark 64 Handicap (1000m).
Lagarde scored over 1000m at Kembla Grange on May 14 before being narrowly overhauled by Azcannyaz over 1000m at Hawkesbury on June 9 after starting from the outside barrier.
