Eagle Farm trainer Liam Birchley is considering a Spring Carnival campaign for Headwater Country after the two year old won a Doomben barrier trial on Tuesday.
Trainer Liam Birchley,above, is considering a Spring Carnival campaign for Headwater Country. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Birchley was impressed with Headwater Country’s one and a quarter lengths win in the 850m trial, beating Golden Slipper placegetter Bring Me The Maid.
The Peter Moody trained Bring Me The Maid was sent to the paddock for a well-deserved break after finishing third to Mossfun and Earthquake in the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill during the Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Bring Me The Maid with Chad Schofield in the saddle wasn’t knocked around in her first serious hit out since spelling in Queensland and will now head back down south to continue her Spring Carnival build up.
“I don’t know what you make of Bring Me The Maid as she was slow to go and then wasn’t knocked around,” Birchley told AAP.
Birchely will pick out a suitable new season three year old race in Brisbane for Headwater Country to kick of his preparation and a good performance will convince him to tackle another southern campaign.
“If he races OK up here we might have to reconsider and take him south for some of the spring races.”
Birchely ventured south with the Snitzel youngster last year after winning his maiden race at the Gold Coast by almost seven lengths and performed fairly to finished third over 1000m at Randwick on November 9.
Headwater Country was sent out the $3.50 favourite but unfortunately ran into a smart filly from the Peter Snowden stable in the name of Earthquake who went on to win the Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 22 and followed that up with a second to Mossfun in the Golden Slipper.
Birchley returned to the south of the border in the Autumn this year but Headwater Country failed to fire and was unplaced at three starts including a tenth to Lucky Raquie in the Listed $275,000 Seppelt Black Opal Stakes (1200m) at Canberra on March 9 and a fourth in the $100,000 State Wide Sheds Wellington Boot (1100m) at Wellington on March 23.
