John McNair has offered a ray of sunshine to the Brisbane Race Club as he is yet to rule out Hay List of the carnival all together.

He was originally set to have one last run today in the Doomben 10,000 but was scratched yesterday afternoon leaving many assuming we’d seen the last of him for 2011 at least.

McNair though is now saying the Stradbroke handicap is still a possibility depending on how he travels over the next few days.

He has an infection in his off hind leg but it’s not as serious as first feared.

“It’s bad luck he’s had to miss the 10,000 but it’s good news it’s not career threatening,” McNair said.

“It hasn’t been diagnosed yet but it appears it may only be a foot abscess.

“We’re waiting on a few blood tests and a few other things.”

It was a good eye by McNair to spot the problems and he says the first indication anyone had something wasn’t right was on Friday morning.

He returned from some very light track work and a swim and was acting like a different horse.

“Within an hour I was on the phone to the vet,” McNair said.

“Obviously it had been brewing for a while but the vet put a poultice on his foot and bandaged the whole leg.

“Within an hour his temperature went up one degree from being normal at nine o’clock.

“But it now appears it’s not as bad as I first feared and it may only be a foot abscess and we’re not ruling out the Stradbroke just yet.”

The Stradbroke Handicap is the jewel in the crown of the Brisbane Racing Carnival and will be run at eagle Farm on June 11.

The markets on the race a very interesting when you consider current favourite Sincero is yet to even make the field and second favourite Hay List is far from a certainty as well.

Hay List was an odds on favourite to take out today’s Doomben 10,000 after being the only one in the picture behind Black Caviar in their last few runs.