Jockey Glen Colless could offer no excuses when smart Sydney galloper Nostradamus was beaten into second place in his return to racing at Doomben on Saturday.
Starting favourite, Nostradamus ($2.60) was sent to Brisbane to start his spring campaign after the Hawkes stable could not find a suitable race for his spring resumption in Sydney.
After racing midfield, Nostradamus ran on finish second, beaten 2-1/2 lengths by Didntcostalot ($8) in the Hotel Beach Handicap (1100m).
"It was pretty plain. I got a drag up into the race but when I hit the accelerator there wasn't a lot there," Colless said.
Nostradamus, the winner of two stakes races, will now return to Sydney to continue his spring.
Didntcostalot did his early racing in Sydney for Marc Connors but has been with Brisbane's premier trainer Tony Gollan for his past two runs.
Stable foreman John Fleming said Didntcostalot had improved a lot since his first-up second at Doomben two weeks ago.
"He looked a lot better in the parade ring and raced up to it," Fleming said.
Winning jockey Tegan Harrison said Didntcostalot had given a display of sheer speed which was backed up by winning time of 1min03.83secs.
Trainer Les Ross saddled up three runners and wasn't surprised when the outsider of the trio Mishani Di Caprio ($41) won the Rawgroup Hospitality Handicap.
Mishani Di Caprio gave apprentice James Orman a double when he held on to beat his stablemate Dandy One ($5.50) by a long head.
"I thought all three had good chances and my other runner Mishani Honcho ran just behind them. Mishani Di Caprio had been getting big weights and he got in nicely today with the claim by James (Orman)," Ross said.
Trainer Rob Heathcote predicted a bright middle-distance future for Punta Notre ($4.60) after the gelding won the Madame Wu Handicap (1600m).
"He won three races in a row last year but then his form went off. I have always had a big opinion of Punta Notre and I put off having him gelded for as long as possible.
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