Trainer Darren Bell hopes he hasn't gone the wrong way in deciding to give Falino his chance in the QTC Cup at Doomben on Saturday.

Bell had pencilled in the Listed Lightning Handicap for Falino but elected to take on stronger Group Two company.

"We were worried there would be a capacity field of 16 or so in the Lightning and we didn't want Falino to get lost in a big field," Bell said.

"But as it turned out the Lightning has fallen away to just ten runners. Then again the QTC Cup is a small field as well."

Falino produced his best form last start to storm home and win the Listed Bribie Handicap at the Sunshine Coast two weeks ago.

It was Falino's first stakes win since he took the Group Three BTC Classic as a three-year-old but the now seven-year-old has been competitive in good company.

"There are no secrets about him. He needs a dry track and the pace on. Joe Pride has the two favourites so it will be interesting to see the pattern of the race," Bell said.

Pride's runners Kuro and Ball Of Muscle can avoid the ballot for the Group One Stradbroke next week by winning the QTC Cup.

Kuro showed he was back near his best in winning the Mick Dittman Plate at Doomben three weeks ago and Ball Of Muscle hasn't run since finishing second to Srikandi in the Victory Stakes at the Gold Coast on April 25.

While the QTC Cup is a ballot-free race for the Stradbroke, it hasn't been a genuine guide to Queensland's biggest sprint.

No horse has been able to complete the QTC Cup-Stradbroke double since the Cup was introduced 36 years ago.