Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller is using tomorrow’s Rosehill meeting to finalise plans for his two Brisbane Winter Carnival prospects.
The lightly raced Lucripetous is on trial for a trip to Brisbane to run in the Group 1 $500,000 Channel Seven Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 9.
And the well performed Red Tracer could be targeted towards the Group 1 $1m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 9 or the Group 1 $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 23 or both.
Waller is confident that Lucripetous has shown enough staying potential from five starts to warrant a place in the Queensland Derby but wanted to make sure before shipping him off to Brisbane.
“His breeding and his racing pattern would certainly suggest that,” Waller said referring to 2400m of the Derby.
Lucripetous was also nominated for the Group 3 $150,000 Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) at Doomben tomorrow but Waller elected to go for the easier 2000m Benchmark 74 Handicap at Rosehill to put the finishing touches on the three year old before committing to a Derby start.
“I would rather be sure at home first rather than travel them away, and 2000m on his home track is pretty hard to beat,” Waller said.
“And you go up to Queensland for those staying races and get knocked from pillar to post, it’s not much fun.”
The Pentire three year old is only a winner of one race over 1550m at Canterbury in February but has performed well as Waller stepped him up in distance and further improvement is expected as the distances get longer.
Lucripetous has been installed the $2.60 favourite for his assignment tomorrow after running on for second over 1800m at Rosehill on May 12 at his first run since the beginning of April and is currently $13 for the Queensland Derby.
Waller is in two minds where to head with his well performed mare Red Tracer but Saturday’s Rosehill performance will help him map out a winter program.
“We are working out whether Red Tracer is sharp enough to go to the Stradbroke or whether we concentrate on the Tiara at the end of the Carnival,” Waller said.
“She’ll probably only run if it rained, which it is supposed to.”
Red Tracer is undefeated from four starts on slow and heavy tracks and was an easy winner in the Group 3 $125,000 De Bortoli Wines Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on March 3 on a heavy 9.
But she failed at Group 1 level with a ninth behind Ofcourseican in the $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on March 24 and was no match for More Joyous when fifth in the $400,000 Inglis Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on April 7.
Red Tracer sits at the top of the betting for the Fujitsu Air Conditioning Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill at $3.60 ahead of stable mate Tromso who is at $5, but is way down the order for the Stradbroke at $35 which has Mental the $7 favourite.
