The weekend weather will determine if Toowoomba trainer Tony Sears runs both Choice Bro and Pillar Of Creation in the Listed $175,000 City Of Ipswich Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich on Saturday.
Choice Bro, above, won’t start in the Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich if the track is significantly rain affected. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting another wet weekend and if they are right, Choice Bro is likely to stay at home and leave Pillar Of Creation to carry the stable’s hopes in the feature sprint on Ipswich Cup Day.
“The weather will dictate if they both run. If we get any rain Choice Bro will head to Rockhampton for the Newmarket and then possibly push on further north to the Cleveland Bay Handicap at Townsville,” Sears told AAP.
“And of course the wetter the better for Pillar Of Creation.”
Pillar Of Creation has five wins, three seconds and a third on soft rated tracks plus two seconds on the heavy while Choice Bro has recorded one win and four placings from twelve attempts on a rain affected track.
Sears admits that Choice Bro and Pillar Of Creation are just below the top quality sprinters but kept to their own class, both are very competitive.
“They have both been racing well but I didn’t think they would be up to some of the better races against the southern horses,” Sears said.
Choice Bro and Pillar Of Creation have clashed at their last two starts with the results being split.
Choice Bro claimed the honours with his last to first win in the Listed $150,000 Audi Centre Toowoomba Weetwood Handicap (1200m) at Toowoomba on April 16 with Pillar Of Creation filling third spot.
Then at their next start Pillar Of Creation finished thirteenth to Coolring in the Listed $100,000 Prime Minister’s Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast on May 7, just ahead of Choice Bro in fifteenth position.
Brisbane’s leading apprentice James Orman will stick with Choice Bro who has drawn barrier three in the thirteen horse field while Brad Pengally is back aboard Pillar Of Creation who will jump from gate ten.
There is not much splitting the Sears’ pair in the betting at Ladbrokes.com.au with Choice Bro drifting from $5.50 to $8.50 while Pillar Of Creation has firmed in from $10 to $9.50.
Eye Liner Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.50 Trubia, $7.50 Saluter, $8.50 Choice Bro, Steel Zip, $9 Ninth Legion, Timeless Prince, $9.50 Pillar Of Creation, $11 Beckham, $13 Royal Occasion, $15 Time To Plunder, $34 Daph ‘N’ Alf, $41 Old Habits, $91 Abu Ben Adam.
