The travel plans for the Darren Weir trained High Church and Rageese were severely interrupted when they got caught up in the Malaysia Airlines attempted hijacking incident at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport last night.
High Church, above in blue and white colours, is one of the main chances in the P J O’Shea Stakes at Doomben. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
High Church and Rageese arrived at the airport late on Wednesday night to board their flight to Brisbane for their engagements at Doomben on Saturday but had to return to their Ballarat base when the airport was shut down.
Hopefully they will have better luck tonight and arrive in Brisbane in time for High Church to run in the Group 2 $200,000 Pages Event Equipment Hire P J O’Shea Stakes (2200m) and Rageese to take his place in the Group 2 $175,000 Ascot Green Moreton Cup (1200m).
High Church has drawn barrier four in the small six horse P J O’Shea Stakes field and will be ridden again by Damian Lane who has been aboard the English import at his last two starts.
In a tight betting market for the P J O’Shea Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au, High Church is on the third line of betting at $3.70 and is coming off a win in the Listed $200,000 Sungold Milk Warrnambool Cup (2350m) at Warrnambool on May 4 followed by a second in in the Listed $150,000 Port Adelaide Cup (2500m) at Morphettville on May 20.
Canberra mare Single Gaze heads the market order at $3 ahead of Chris Waller’s multiple Group 1 winner Preferment at $3.60.
Lane will also be aboard Rageese who has drawn awkwardly at barrier fourteen in the Moreton Cup and is at the double figure odds of $13.
Rageese has been unplaced at two runs from spell and was always well back in the field last start when fourteenth to Vega Magic in the Group 1 $1m Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 20.
The Gerald Ryan trained Deploy at $5 holds a slight advantage over last start Chief De Beers winner The Virginian at $5.50 and the Team Snowden trained Attention at $6.50 at the top of the Moreton Cup market order.
