A couple of horses really caught our eye at Eagle Farm on Saturday, April 30, putting in strong claims as they head towards some big races over the Brisbane Winter Carnival. One other mare from Sydney looks right on track to go one better in a Brisbane Group 1 in six weeks’ time, too.
Eagle Farm | Track: Good 4 | Rail: +5m Entire Course
Race 4: Benchmark 85 Handicap (1600m) | Time: 1:35.62
- Horse to follow: TOP ORDER (2nd)
TOP ORDER is an interesting addition to our blackbook, because staying races from here on in are only going to get tougher and he isn’t exactly a superstar. In saying that, the eye-catching grey galloper made up a stack of ground on short-priced favourite and eventual winner Gave Us Up at the end of the mile on Saturday. The Kim Anderson-trained galloper had some good staying form in Queensland at the end of last preparation, so he could be worth keeping an eye on.
When to bet: Like we said, he is no superstar, so we will have to look out for him in staying races at the likes of Ipswich on a Wednesday or a Benchmark 85 over 2000m and beyond. He looks to have come back very well.
Race 8: Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) | Time: 1:09.61
- Horse to follow: JAMAEA (3rd)
There wasn’t really much hiding the run of three-year-old filly JAMAEA in Saturday’s feature sprint at Eagle Farm, where the Robert & Luke Price-trained galloper stormed home into third. She has always shown plenty of ability against her own age and sex, but to do what she did on Saturday against the older horses suggests that she has turned into a really nice three-year-old.
When to bet: It sounds as though Jamaea will now go to the Kingsford Smith Cup, before heading to the Stradbroke Handicap in four weeks’ time. With no weight on her back in either race, she could be the one to beat in both of those. She is seriously flying.
Hawkesbury | Track: Heavy 9 | Rail: True Entire Course
Race 8: Group 3 Hawkesbury Crown (1300m) | Time: 1:19.74
- Horse to follow: NUDGE (6th)
We have always been fans of NUDGE, and this time 12 months ago she really started to show the world what she was made of. After winning her first race in about 18 months in the Group 3 Pam O’Neill Stakes (1600m) at Doomben in late May, she won the Sapphire Stakes (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Stradbroke Day and then ran second to Tofane in the Tatts Tiara (1400m). The Chris Waller-trained mare resumed on Friday with a terrific sixth in the Hawkesbury Crown, flying home to go down just on a length out wide on the track.
When to bet: We hope to see Nudge return to Queensland in the coming weeks, with the Tatts Tiara a race she can really be aimed towards in her quest to go one better.
