The Group 3 $125,000 Mittys Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday is trainer Darren Weir’s preferred option for dual acceptor Mongolian Wolf.
Mongolian Wolf, above, is an acceptor for the Rough Habit Plate at Doomben and the Noel Rundle handicap at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.
Weir is hoping suitable travel arrangements can be made for Mongolian Wolf to travel to Queensland from Victoria before the weekend otherwise the former Kiwi trained three year old will take his place in the $100,000 Noel Rundle Handicap (2000m) against his own age at Caulfield on Saturday.
Mongolian Wolf has drawn the rails in the Rough Habit Plate with Brenton Avdulla booked to ride while at Caulfield he has drawn barrier five at with Weir ready to use apprentice Mitchell Aitken’s 3kg claim to offer some relief to his allocated 62kg.
“We want to take him to Brisbane but we can’t get a flight, that happened to us last week with Articus, so we put him in Melbourne as a backup and then is a fortnight’s time there is another 2000m or 2200m race that is a lead to the Queensland Derby,” Weir told racing.com.
“It will all be flight related there. If he can get on a flight he will be definitely going but otherwise he will have to run here.”
Weir was caught out last week when French import Articus was forced to race at Flemington in his final lead up to the Group 1 $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on May 20 because there was no suitable flights heading to Queensland.
Articus had to be scratched from the Group 2 $358,000 Attwood Marshall A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast last Saturday but went on to record a solid win in the $100,000 Chairman’s Club Handicap over 1800m at Flemington.
Mongolian Wolf, who was formerly prepared by leading Kiwi trainer Murray Baker, has had one run for the Weir stable for an impressive one and a quarter lengths win in the Group 3 $150,000 Mostyn Copper Group Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick on April 15.
Weir has been pleased with the progress of Mongolian Wolf who was one of the star workers at Ballarat on Monday morning and is keen to head to Brisbane with the gelding for the Group 1 $600,000 Channel 7 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 10.
“He has done really well since his last run and he is really attacking he line well. He has filled up in condition and looks fantastic,” Weir said.
Mongolian Wolf sits at the top of the market order for the Rough Habit Plate at $3.60 with Ladbrokes.com.au and he is also the short priced $2.50 favourite for the Noel Rundle Handicap at Caulfield.
