A busy weekend in Queensland with four runners in sunny Ipswich, including contestants in the Listed Ipswich Cup and Listed Eye Liner Stakes.
Saturday, June 17
Ipswich
Current Track Rating: Soft
Eaglemont
Eaglemont heads into this race third-up, following two encouraging performances to start his first Queensland racing campaign. From the good draw, he should be able to put himself in a more forward position on Saturday. In what looks a suitable race, he should be very competitive here as he nears peak fitness.
Race 3 – 12:53pm | 1666m BM78 | T: Matthew Dunn | J: Brodie Loy 57kgs | Barrier 4 | Saddlecloth 9
Montabot
Montabot looks to have returned in great shape this time in, working home nicely in his first-up run without much luck. His second-up record reads well, so provided he can slot in with some cover, Matt expects a good performance on Saturday.
Race 3 – 12:53pm | 1666m BM78 | T: Matthew Dunn | J: Damian Thornton 57.5kgs | Barrier 10
| Saddlecloth 8
Regal Lion
Regal Lion takes his place in the Listed Ipswich Cup. He was a touch disappointing on return, but his work at home has been sharp since that run with blinkers applied. If he can replicate his recent work on race-day, he should be putting in a much improved performance here.
Race 7 – 3:17pm | 2150m Listed Ipswich Cup | T: Annabel Neasham | J: Ben Thompson 54kgs | Barrier 10
| Saddlecloth 8
Cepheus
Cepheus is set to contest the Listed Eye Liner Stakes. He drops back in trip considerably here, but has been kept nice and fresh with over a month between runs. This gelding has had a terrific preparation to date and continues to handle his racing well. Saturday’s race looks to have good speed on paper, which should set things up nicely for him from a position just off the pace. Good ground is key.
Race 8 – 3:53pm | 1350m Listed Eye Liner Stakes | T: Matthew Dunn | J: Brodie Loy 58.5kgs | Barrier 6
| Saddlecloth 2
Flemington
Current Track Rating: Soft
Green Fly
Green Fly heads back to Flemington on Saturday after not handling the Hillside circuit at Sandown last time out. He has taken a bit of time to trim up physically this preparation, but he should be starting to come into his own third-up. It’s certainly a case of the wetter the better for this fellow!
Race 7 – 3:25pm | 1620m BM90 | T: Anthony&Sam Freedman | J: Ben Allen 57kgs | Barrier 7 | Saddlecloth 7
Sunday, June 18
Mount Gambier
Current Track Rating: Heavy
Wicklow Lass
Wicklow Lass hasn’t quite found the form expected of her yet this preparation but gets an opportunity to do so here. She has had a slight hold up between runs but the journey and conditions shouldn’t pose an issue for her. This run will set her up to step out to 1400m, but in this field, we’d hope to see her be very competitive.
Race 6 – 4:15pm | 1213m BM68 | T: Tom Dabernig | J: Ms Teagan Voorham 54kgs | Barrier 9
| Saddlecloth 10
Gowran Park, Ireland
Current Track Rating: Good
Feathertop
Should the predicted rain fall, Feathertop could well make her debut. The filly has been ready for a number of weeks, awaiting the right ground to start her career. She’s a filly who has taken time but always shown a good deal at home, so we’re excited to see how she fairs. She’ll appreciate getting out over further, but this will be a nice starting point if the rain arrives.
Race 6 – TBA | 1900m 3yo+F Maiden | T: Jessie Harrington | J: TBAkgs | Barrier TBA | Saddlecloth TBA
Best of luck to all connections!