The Gold Coast trained Eagle Way is a great chance to secure a Group 1 win for the local trainers when he lines up in the $600,000 Channel Seven Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Eagle Way, above, maroon and white, is a great chance for the locals to win the Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm. Photo by Daniel Costello.
All three Group 1s during the 2016 Brisbane Winter Carnival have been won by interstate raiders and the Queenslanders are hoping the Bryan Guy trained three year old can claim a local victory in the Queensland Derby.
Victorian trainers Lee and Anthony Freedman won the Group 1 $500,000 BTC Cup (1200m) with Malaguerra and the Group 1 $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) with Our Ivanhowe while Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker took out the Group 1 $750,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1350m) with Music Magnate.
Eagle Way roared into Queensland Derby calculations with an eye catching second to the Chris Waller trained Mackintosh in the Group 3 $150,000 Mullins Lawyers Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) at Doomben on May 28.
The Bryan Guy trained three year old was doing is best work at the finish and after settling near the tail of the field stormed home to run Mackintosh to a short neck on the line.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a horse with a live chance in a Group 1 and I’m really looking forward to it,” Guy told The Gold Coast Bulletin.
“The horse is going terrific and I’m very happy with him.”
“When they walked in the Grand Prix I thought he would finish off and run fourth or fifth but the last 100 yards he really put in and found the line.”
Guy was able to dodge the worst of the wild weekend weather and Eagle Way was able to get in a solid gallop on Saturday morning before the rain set in.
“I got him out there on the track early Saturday morning and we were able to give him the work out he needed, so everything is good,” Guy said.
At his previous run Eagle Way also made up plenty of ground in the straight when fourth to Mackintosh in the Group 3 $125,000 Mitty’s Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben on May 14 and he will be up against the Chris Waller trained three year old again in the Queensland Derby.
Eagle Way is on the third line of betting at $5 with Ladbrokes.com.au and will be taking on Mackintosh again who is the $4 favourite for the Queensland Derby.
The Darren Weir trained Howard Be Thy Name splits those two in betting at $4.20 and comes to Brisbane on the back of a win in the Group 1 $500,000 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on May 14.
Waller will have a strong presence in the Queensland Derby and as well as Mackintosh, will also saddle up last start Sydney winners Encosta Line ($8) and Rodrico ($17) plus Multifactes who is at the lengthy odds of $26.
Early market order for the Queensland Derby at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4 Mackintosh, $4.20 Howard Be Thy Name, $5 Eagle Way, $8 Encosta Line, $9 Eschiele, Etymology, $11 Provocative, $15 Imposing Lass, $17 Rodrico, I’m Belucci, $21 Brazen, Dawnie Perfect, Cylinder Beach, $26 Multifacets, Ambience, Red Alto, $34 Tavi Bay, Star Zone, $41 Harvard, Colonel Custer, $51 Cilla, Kebede, Snapper, $67 Admiral Jello, $101 Last Typhoon, Maven Wiz, Iron Boss, $201 Slaughter Bay.
