The one factor beyond the control of Tony Gollan is also his greatest fear with Spirit Of Boom in Saturday's Stradbroke Handicap.

Gollan says the weather holds the key to Spirit Of Boom's prospects of winning the $1.38 million sprint.

"Unfortunately he's dictated to by the weather because he needs the track to be no worse than dead," he said.

"Provided we can get a dead or better surface he's going to get a soft run and get the chance to show that electric turn of foot we know he has."

Brisbane Racing Club officials are confident the Eagle Farm surface won't deteriorate beyond the dead range with only a shower or two predicted on Saturday.

To be ridden by Michael Cahill, Spirit Of Boom has drawn barrier two in the Stradbroke but will start from the inside if, as expected, fourth emergency Celtic Dancer doesn't gain a start.

"Anything inside ten I would have been happy with and I know it will make Michael's job a helluva lot easier," Golan said.

"From there he should get a good run and get the last shot at them with his great turn of foot."

The five-year-old entire pleased Gollan with his effort to finish fourth to Epaulette in the Doomben 10,000.

"He was pratted four deep on a limb from the 750-metre mark then six deep on the corner and copped a bump at the top of the straight," he said.

"To still run fourth with all those things against him was a great effort because you can't afford to have any bad luck in Group One races."

Despite beating home Your Song in the 10,000 and meeting him on 2kg better weight terms, Spirit Of Boom is rated a $26 chance while the Anthony Cummings-trained three-year-old is the $4.50 favourite.

In last year's Stradbroke Spirit Of Boom ran sixth to Mid Summer Music but Gollan believes he is in better shape for this year's renewal.

"I know he hasn't won a race in the past 12 months but he's been Group One placed a couple of times and has had to deal with a lot of bad alleys and unsuitable track surfaces," he said.

"The 54 kilos ia a luxury weight and the 1400 metres is no concern to him at all."

Gollan is aiming to add the Stradbroke to his first Group One win in last year's Galaxy won by Spirit Of Boom's half-brother Temple Of Boom.