Trainer Darren Beadman has admitted that the 1200m of the Group 2 $175,000 Ascot Green Moreton Cup at Doomben on Saturday is not the ideal distance for his sprinter Federal.
The 1200m of the Moreton Cup at Doomben is not ideal for Federal, above. Photo by Steve Hart.
Beadman still expects Federal to be amongst the prizemoney but the advertised 1300m for the Moreton Cup which was supposed to be run at Eagle Farm would have suited the five year old better.
“Originally this was a longer race, but it’s back to 1200m here which isn’t the best for him,” Beadman said.
“His main race is down the track a bit yet, but I still expect him to get a nice run from barrier two and if he does he can figure in the finish.”
Racing Queensland ordered the transfer of Saturday’s Queensland Oaks meeting and next week’s Stradbroke Handicap meeting to Doomben after the Eagle Farm track came in for some heavy criticism because of a below par racing surface on Kingsford-Smith Cup Race Day last Saturday and some of the distances for several races had to be altered because of the different configuration of the Doomben track.
Federal has mixed recent form with only one placing from his last three starts when third to Religify in the Listed $100,000 Australia’s Gold Coast Prime Minister’s Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast on May 6.
Beadman is willing to forgive Federal’s last start seventh to Jungle Edge in the Group 3 $125,000 Taxibox BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on May 20, pointing out that the five year old struck some trouble racing back in the field.
“Federal copped a lot of backwash behind Jungle Edge at Doomben a couple of weeks ago, so I’m not too bothered by how he went there,” Beadman said.
Federal has been marked as a $14 chance for the Moreton Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au and Beadman will also saddle up Handfast who is also at double figure odds at $17.
Tommy Berry replaces James Doyle on Federal who has drawn barrier two while Handfast will jump from gate seven in the thirteen horse field with Robbie Fradd replacing Brenton Avdulla who was aboard the Street Cry gelding last start when fourth to Jungle Edge in the BRC Sprint.
The Gerald Ryan trained Deploy heads the market order at $5 even though he has drawn closer to the outside than the inside with Tim Clark in the saddle and is coming off a last start second to Quatronic in the Listed $150,000 Arrowfield Ortensia Stakes (1100m) at Scone on May 13.
Last start Chief De Beers winner The Virginian is next in the betting at $5.50 just ahead of the Team Snowden trained three year old Attention at $6.50.
