Newly established Queensland trainer David Vandyke is hoping for a change of luck for the stable when Maurus contests the Listed $175,000 Channel 7 Ipswich Cup (2150m) at Ipswich.
Maurus has been installed the favourite for the Ipswich Cup at Ipswich. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Maurus kicked off Vandyke’s relocation from Warwick Farm in Sydney to the Sunshine Coast in fine style with a win in a 2200m Doomben Handicap on April 30 but the stable has only had three winners since.
A frustrating run of seconds has seen Astronomus pick up the runner’s up cheque in a 1630m BenchMark 85 Handicap at Doomben on April 30 as well as the stables top stayer Sir John Hawkwood being denied a feature race win on two occasions.
The Darren Weir trained Real Love proved too strong for Sir John Hawkwood in the Group 3 $125,000 JRA Cup (2000m) at Doomben on May 14 and then the seven year filled the runner’s up stall again behind Kiwi stayer Benzini in last Saturday’s Group 2 $300,000 Evergreen Turf Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm.
“We also had a couple of short-priced favourites run second at Ballina (on Monday) so we’re due for a change of luck and hopefully the run of seconds is over,” Vandyke told The Gold Coast Bulletin.
Vandyke thinks with a bit of extra luck Maurus could have finished closer than fifth behind Our Ivanhowe in the Group 1 $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on May 21 and he looks well suited in the Ipswich Cup.
“The Ipswich Cup should be a lovely race for Maurus and he should be very competitive,” Vandyke said.
“It’s hard to say (he would have won the Doomben Cup with a better run) but he was off and running a fair way out and it is hard to sustain a 600m run in a Group 1 like that.
“But it was a good effort and he didn’t get beat far and he should run well in the Ipswich Cup.”
Damian Browne takes over from Blake Sprigs on Maurus who was out of luck at the barrier draw for the Ipswich Cup, coming up the outside barrier in the eleven horse field.
Ladbrokes.com.au have Maurus at the top of the Ipswich Cup market order at $2.60 ahead of a congested betting board that has Worthy Cause at $6, Dance Of Heroes and Puccini at $6.50, Iggi Pop and Jumbo Prince sharing the next line of betting at $8.50 and Adirondack as a $10 chance.
Ipswich Cup market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.60 Maurus, $6 Worthy Cause, $6.50 Puccini, Dance Of Heroes, , $8.50 Jumbo Prince, Iggi Pop, $10 Adirondack, $31 Instrumentalist, $51 Meru, Nissile, $71 Kurrajong Dragon.
