Wet track specialist Pear Tart caused a major upset in taking out the Group 2 $350,000 Sky Racing Queensland Guineas (1400m) at Eagle Farm today.

Pear Tart

Pear Tart makes it three from three on heavy tracks in the Queensland Guineas - photo © Daniel Costello

Unbeaten at three starts on heavy tracks, Pear Tart was having her first run in a month after injuring herself after winning a Class 3 Handicap on a heavy track at Eagle Farm on May 2.

Trainer John Thompson said that the filly badly cut her head in a floating accident on the way home from the races and had to overcome her injuries to prepare for today’s victory.

“The preparation she’s had into this race is very much not good.  Big effort for the horse,” Thompson said.

“She won very impressive and on the way home in the float she played up bad and cut her head open terribly, got about fourteen stitches above the eye, you see her hip, it has no skin on it the size of a football.”

“She missed good work as well but the last seven days she’s really come on and Jeff’s been riding her in her gallops and said she is a good filly.”

Pear Tart was too strong in the run to the line and held off Free Wheeling with one 100-1 chance Stradon running home for third.

The short priced favourite Mental was always awkwardly placed back in the field and couldn’t pick up in the straight missing a place and was unable to repeat the effort of his last start Doomben win.

Pear Tart’s win is a big boost for successful international jockey Jeff Lloyd who has only recently settled on the Gold Coast and linked up with Thompson and Patinack Farm.

“It’s great to crack a good win early in the Carnival. It’s not easy to get on good horses, they were all taken by the time I got here,” Lloyd said.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.