The staying feature of the day and the first of the Group races on Saturday’s card at Eagle Farm, is the Tatt’s Cup. A handy field of thirteen line up with early favourite being local hope Rothera just in advance of Ibicenco.
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1. IBICENCO – L Nolen (2)
Former European galloper who joined the Peter Moody stable last year and has won, among his five starts to date, the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m). He has had two runs in this prep with a very pleasing effort first up behind Solzhenitsyn in the G3 Lord Mayor’s Cup (1600m) and 2.6 lengths behind Tokamak last start in the Listed Strawberry Road (1600m). Will appreciate the 2200m trip here, gets in well at the weights and will be primed for this third run back.
2. ROTHERA – R McMahon (8)
Got his preferred heavy track conditions when running second to Quintessential at his second run back this prep in the G3 Chairman’s Handicap and was doing his best work late at his next and most recent start, when fifth behind the in-form Moriarty in the Brisbane Cup. In good form and did run fifth to Glecadam Gold in the Newcastle Cup last prep. Any rain increases his chances considerably.
3. ZABEELIONAIRE – (3)
Scratched from the Ipswich Cup last week for here. He was well accounted for in the G1 WFA Doomben Cup behind Beaten Up and again behind Quintessential in the Eagle Farm Cup on a slow track, better placed on a drier track and to the weight scale of this race. He was close up behind Dunaden and Alcopop last spring in the Caulfield Cup and Mackinnon Stakes respectively and is not be forgotten.
4. FIBRILLATION – M Cahill (10)
Performed well in Sydney during the Autumn Carnival and registered a fourth in the G3 Epona Stakes behind Aliyana Tilde before running second to Kelinni in the JRA Plate (2000m). However, the 5yo mare hasn’t been able to reproduce that form in two runs in Queensland recently and finished down the track in both the G1 Doomben Cup and Brisbane Cup. Will need to lift.
5. RIAYLA – J Bowditch (7)
He hasn’t been able to run a place in nine starts since winning the G2 Adelaide Cup last year. The Lloyd Kennewell trained galloper has camped on the speed in both the G3 Premier’s Cup and last week’s Ipswich Cup before running seventh and eighth respectively. Will go forward again but find this race harder than last week’s.
6. SHARMADASHING – C Munce (6)
He’s had four runs back this prep with the latest of them being a sixth (beaten 2.9 lengths) behind Moriarty in the Brisbane Cup and that followed a luckless run behind Precedence in the Premier’s Cup. Ran fourth behind Ginga Dude in this race last year and his form this time around for mine, is better but, he’ll get a long way back and it has been almost a year since his last win – the Grafton Cup.
7. SHENZHOU STEEDS – E Wilkinson (13)
The winner of last year’s Ipswich and Caloundra Cups who has returned to compete in some better races this year. Not much went right for him in the Premier’s Cup, running into a dead end on the turn before drawing wide and racing forward in the Brisbane Cup before weakening noticeably late and running thirteenth. Drawn wide here as well and would need to lift.
8. VERDANT – D Browne (5)
Lightly raced and promising stayer who, despite running eleventh and losing a plate, made up good ground late in the G2 Brisbane Cup last start behind Moriarty. Drawn to get a sweeter run here and started 2/1 favourite in last year’s Sandown Cup over Ibicenco and Reuben Percival but suffered an injury during the race and finished sixth. Can bounce back and pay to keep safe.
9. RAEBURN – R Wiggins (9)
He returned from a long layoff of nineteen months in April before running eight behind Less Is More and last start, fifth behind Planetarium in a BM 90 – both on slow ground. Will appreciate the significant weight drop of 5kgs here, the likelihood of a drier surface and he did run fifth in this race in 2011 behind Ironstein but, more than happy to risk this year.
10. ENDOR – K McEvoy (1)
New Zealand galloper who, after winning a BM 75 and BM 85 in succession at home, took part in the G3 Premier’s Cup but as a 25/1 shot, ran last. He was than taken to Toowoomba and back to the BM 85 grade and duly saluted by a length. Will struggle back at this level.
11. GOLD CAPE – M Hellyer (4)
Improved from the heavy condition of the G3 Chairman’s Handicap with a 2.6 length eighth behind Precedence in the Premier’s Cup but struck another wet track and traffic on the turn in the Ipswich Cup last week and ran twelfth of sixteen. Competitive without winning in BM grade races back in NZ and would prefer him in something easier at this stage.
12. TRAJET – P Robl (12)
Led all the way on a track that favoured that style of racing when scoring a comfortably 3 ½ length win over Mulaqen and Black Jag at Scone in a BM 75 race before getting back from his wide draw and never figuring behind Planetarium in a BM 90 last start. Better ridden forward but being draw wide and the level of competition here will find him out.
13. BOREHOLE – A Spinks (11)
Has won five of his thirty-four starts but none of his seven starts this prep – all of which have been in races of lesser quality than this one. He’s pattern is to race in the lead or on the pace and he’ll struggle to hold off challengers in this race.
OVERVIEW
Class runner of the race is Ibicenco and with two runs over a mile under his belt thus far, this looks ideal for him third up. Coupled with the fact that he’s well weighted given his past efforts and he’ll take a lot of holding out. Zabeelionaire gets to the right race for some time and if is able to reproduce some of his efforts in G1 races from the Spring, he’ll be right in the thick of things here. Verdant, will be well placed throughout from gate five and Zabeelionaire who finds the right race for the first time in a long time, are the next best.