AN optimistic Alan Acton has no doubt Outback Barbie will cope with the winter carnival rigors confronting her.
Mr Acton, who races the natty Outback Barbie with wife Jenny, and trainer Tony Gollan have accepted with the three-year-old for the $800,000 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) at Doomben on May 11.
Outback Barbie has drawn barrier two in the field of 13 and senior jockey Jeff Lloyd has the mount.
Under the weight-for-age conditions of the 10,000 Outback Barbie will carry 55 kilograms, 3.5kgs below the highest weighted runners.
They may then proceed to either the $700,000 Kingsford-Smith Cup, over the same course, on May 25 or the $1.5 million TAB Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 8 before her winter quest climaxes in the $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall's Tiara (1400m) on June 22, again at Eagle Farm.
Mr Acton, Wilpeena, Dingo, was unperturbed when asked whether he thought withdrawing Outback Barbie from a weekend appointment at the Gold Coast would tarnish carnival aspirations.
"The track was far too wet," he said.
"In any case she has a lot ahead of her and she is in the Doomben 10,000 and what happens after that will be decided later. But she is going to the Tatts Tiara race and she will run the 1400 metres."
Form students have labelled Outback Barbie as one of the most consistent fillies in training with some rating her in the top six of her gender and generation.
From 11 starts so far, Outback Barbie has banked $633,200 gleaned from two wins and five minor placings. Should she win the 10,000, which carries a first place purse of $480,000, Outback Barbie's career earnings will rocket beyond $1.1 million, making her one of the highest stakeswinners in training in Queensland.
She is yet to win at 1400m, the distance at which the Stradbroke and Tiara will be run but was narrowly beaten at the trip when the closest of thirds in the $2m Magic Millions Three-year-old Guineas on January 12.
The Acton's have a real affinity with racing and sponsor the Wilpeena picnics, sometimes known as the McKenzie River Amateurs and often run in spring.