SPORT: Ted Ryan’s Racing Coverage
Queensland racing will swing into action with the Doomben 10,000 to be run over1200 metres.
Then it is the Doomben Cup which will be run over 2000 metres with hopefully a top-class field of stayers.
In early betting bookies have the Chris Waller trained Buckaroo in as the early favourite before acceptances for the Cup.
He failed to fire in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes back on Sydney Cup Day finishing seventh behind the champion mare, Via Sistina, who won in easy fashion.
The mare beat home Dubai Honour and Tom Kitten.
However, the distance here will suit Buckaroo having won over this trip and running a good second to Duke of Sessa in the Caulfield Cup over 2400 metres in the last year.
He will be right in this.
Another who will be right in this is the top Queenslander, Antino, prepared by their leading trainer, Tony Gollan.
Without doubt it is one of the best going around as he proved in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield last year.
Later in December they took him to Hong Kong to have a crack at the big Group One race there.
Unfortunately, he failed to fire in a hot field, back in 11th spot.
Prior to that he ran a big race finishing second in the VRC Champions Mile behind the weight for age star, Mr Brightside, with another top notcher, Fan Girl, in third spot.
However, they can all put in a bad one, and his last two have been under par.
It appears that he has lost zip at the start and is failing to settle in his races.
He will be right in this especially on his own turf, if he can get his act together.
On the next line is another exciting type in Fawkner Park, prepared by the Queenslander trainer, Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald at Warwick Farm.
Two starts back he rana cracker finishing a good third behind the champion mare, Via Sistina, in the Group One, over 2000 metres in Sydney on March 22. He could be right in this as he has plenty oftalent.
Another that has been disappointing is the former New Zealander, Kovalica, now with Chris Waller, who keeps trying but all to no avail.
Then there is the good mare, Pride of Jenni, who on her day can beat most of the top class as proven in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney.
At one stage connections felt that she had enough and retired her, only to race her again, but in the Australian Cup at Flemington she failed to fire after leading them up and finished ninth, back on March 25.
Now seven, she could be feeling the pinch as you don’t see many mares racing after turning seven.
Another smart type is the Gai Waterhouse-Andrew Bott trained, six year-old stallion, Royal Patronage, who won the Canterbury Stakes in fine style over 1300 metres on March 8.
The stallion got home from Here to Shock and Magic Time and is smart. Will be right in this.
Another smart type is the good galloper, Lindermann, who has been mixing it with the best.
He ran a great fourth to the champion mare, Via Sistina, Dubai Honour and Tom Kitten.
He has been matching it with the very best and racing very well.
The international, Klondike, now with top Sydney trainer John O’Shea, who was a Group One winner at York, in England, failed to fire in the All Aged Stakes and finished well back.
He appears to be better than that and it would pay to give him another chance.
Down to the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald trained Irish bred horse, My Oberon, but he failed to fire in the All Aged Stakes and finished near the tail.
One at odds that could go very well here is the Doncaster Handicap Prelude runner-up, New Endeavour back on April 1 at Rosehill.
It could surprise at big odds.
‘Jimmy is a star’
It didn’t take leading trainer Ciaron Maher long to get his next star into his highly successful stables.
Only recently he retired his champion sprinting mare, Bella Nipotina, who went out with a bank winning the coveted Everest Classic in Sydney, among her many other triumphs.
Now it certainly looks like he has a ready-made replacement in Jimmysstar, who looks like taking over the reins.
He made the other top sprinters looked second-rate in winning the All Aged Stakes at Randwick.
In the run he was a fair way back, but flashed home to win in great fashion.
With the All Aged added to his score, he is the only horse to win two Group One races this season.
Maher was over the moon with the run who just flew home to get the chocolates, and now it’s on with any budding participants.
Despite his big win you could still procure some good odds even after his big win in the All-Aged Stakes.
After the race the bookies had him varying between 15/1 and 20/1.
Ciaron was also quick to congratulate promising young rider Victorian Ethan Brown on his ride.
He feels he is up with the best riding in Australia at the moment.
Ted Ryan