Group 1 winner Stratum Star is among the twenty nominations for the Listed $175,000 HMR Projects Pty Ltd Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
Stratum Star, above, is among the nominations for the Glasshouse Handicap at the Sunshine Coast. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Stratum Star was the winner of the Group 1 $400,000 Anthea Crawford Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield during the 2015 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
The Darren Weir trained four year old then continued that good Group 1 form into the Autumn with a second to Turn Me Loose in the Group 1 $500,000 italktravel Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Stratum Star then ran third to He Or She in the Group 2 $200,000 Incognitus Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on March 12 before finishing sixth to Winx in the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 2.
Weir then sent Stratum Star north to Brisbane where he failed to beat a runner home when thirteenth to Malaguerra in the Group 1 $500,000 BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 14 but found some better form last start when third to Spill The Beans in the Group 2 $175,000 MIRVAC QTC Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm on June 11.
Eye Liner Stakes winner Ninth Legion is also among the Glasshouse Handicap nominations and will head to the Sunshine Coast after returning to form with a win in the feature sprint race on Ipswich Cup Day last Saturday week.
The Pat Duff trained Steel Zip finished third to Ninth Legion in the Eye Liner Stakes and looks set to clash again with the Fastnet Rock six year old on the weekend.
The Robert Heathcote trainer Saluter looks set to back up in the Glasshouse Handicap after being narrowly beaten last Saturday when second to Into The Red in the Group 3 $175,000 W.J. Healy Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm.
Dual Kiwi Group 1 winner Sacred Star gets his chance to win a Queensland Winter Carnival feature race and will find the Glasshouse Handicap a lot easier than his last start fifth to Under The Louvre in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11.
Caulfield trainer Robert Smerdon is hoping to get Odyssey Moon to Queensland this week for the Glasshouse Handicap after he had to scratch the three year from last Saturday’s Healy Stakes when his plane from Melbourne was cancelled.
Odyssey Moon is racing in great form with a win in a 1300m three year old Handicap at Sandown on June 4 followed by a win in an 1100m Open Handicap at Flemington last Saturday.
