Queensland Derby day in review [Saturday, May 27]

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Kovalica sailed into cups calculations with an effortless victory in the Group 1 Queensland Derby, while Think About It’s star continues to rise. 

Check out our comprehensive review of racing around Australia on Saturday, May 27.

Star Performer

Kovalica (G1 Queensland Derby)

Pre-race, the small niggles on the horse were whether he gets the full mile-and-a-half, and also racing on the quick back-up. But when J-Mac was swinging off the Ocean Park gelding as they turned for home, only one result looked likely, and McDonald was able to double-check over his shoulder late as he claimed the $1m Derby aboard Kovalica. Promises Kept finished fourth, beaten nearly 7L, in a sign of how dominant Kovalica was, backing up from his Doomben Cup placing against the older horses at weight-for-age. At level weights against his fellow 3YOs, he showed his class in spades.

Manhattan Rain gelding Fame, trained by Peter Moody, put in an enormous run for second, having settled in last place, before Jason Collett got going early and he finished a tick under 2L off the winner. He showed that he’s a bit more than Kyneton maiden/Moe 0-64 class, which he had taken care of in his two starts coming in. The challenge, now, for Kovalica is to go on with it in his 4YO season, with the winning strike-rates of Qld Derby winners not making for flash reading in recent years. Lets see if he can buck the trend.

Front Bar Fodder

EAGLE FARM

Kovalica claims G1 with ease
He was sent out the odds-on favourite, and the Waller-trained colt Kovalica honoured that price with an easy win in the G1 Queensland Derby. James McDonald craned his neck a couple of times inside the final furlong, just having a look to see where any prospective rivals were at, and they weren’t a factor as Kovalica trotted in. Fourth-placegetter Promises Kept was beaten the best part of 7L with only two others able to get closer to the hotpot, those being the Peter Moody-trained Fame and the John O’Shea-trained Stroke Of Luck.

Rising star Think About It wins G1 Kingsford Smith
The winning machine Think About It conquered the highest level with victory in the G1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m). He’s won eight of his nine starts and provided his superstar stallion So You Think with another elite-level victor. After conquering the weight-for-age G1, it’ll now be all systems go for the G1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) for Think About It. The Waterhouse/Bott-trained Converge stormed home for second on Saturday, his best finish since his 3YO season when he was duking it out against Anamoe. Rothfire faded to finish third after presenting in the straight as a contender, the Queenslander still flying the flag for the Heathcote stable.

Sixth-vs-first protest tossed out
Not every day you see a 6th-vs-first protest lodged, especially in a G2. But that’s what happened on Saturday in the Sires’ Produce. Connections of Make A Call ($21) were aggrieved at the run of winner Cifrado ($12) late, with the margin being 1.59L. Interestingly, the runner-up Snapback ($12) races in the same stable/silks as the sixth-placed horse, and would’ve been the big beneficiary of an upheld protest as they’d be upgraded to first if the winner was relegated. It’s all a case of ‘what if’ though, as the stewards threw out the objection.

SANDOWN HILLSIDE

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The surprise win of Pintoff in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1000m) was the main story out of Sandown, with hairdresser Carly Cook really turning the 6YO’s form around. He showed a stack of promise early before going right off the boil, but Cook has him back to his best – bursting the Katsu bubble with a powerful finishing burst. 

Maher and Eustace took training honours with a treble, while Harry Coffey was the star of the jockey ranks with a treble of his own. Busuttin and Young import Brayden Star produced arguably the performance of the day in Melbourne, coming from off the speed to run down French Emperor.

Punters Pearler

Jimmy Orman (Antino – Eagle Farm, R2)

In a weird way, there was two-fold pressure on Orman to deliver on Antino – a favourite early on a G1 day is always going to have more eyes on it than usual. But there was also a bit of discourse about him getting bumped for J-Mac on the Derby fav Kovalica, which some might’ve felt undersold Orman’s talents a shade, albeit part-and-parcel of the racing game. Then, you’re carrying 61.5kg and drawn wide, which never normally does jockeys any favours. Then Antino didn’t jump the best to be out the back early, but he managed to muster the horse to ease around them and find the front without using too much petrol. That helped the horse win the race as he was under his own steam and would’ve given punters confidence there was still plenty of kick in the straight. The only other time the horse had raced on speed at Eagle Farm, he had got beat – but Orman’s well-handled ride ensured that didn’t happen again.

Saturday Slaughter

Ben Thompson (Yellow Brick – Eagle Farm, R5)

“Goodbye Yellow Brick road” – Elton John, 1973. “Goodbye Yellow Brick” – Nash Rawiller, 2023. The jump that Nash was able to get on the fav, aboard Hawaii Five Oh, early on in the race was the difference that Yellow Brick, ridden by Ben Thompson, couldn’t bridge late. In the absence of no other clear-cut slaughter, Thompson’s got himself the unwanted gong today given Yellow Brick was charging through the line late and you feel would’ve been winning if not giving the second-fav such a big margin early doors in the Fred Best Classic (1400m).

Saints

Flying On A Limb (Sandown, R2)
The Clinton McDonald-trained filly has had two starts this preparation for two wins, landing big plunges each time. Bookies offered as much as $14 but she jumped $6.50 and ran down Bubble Palace to score in emphatic fashion.



Cardigan Queen (Sandown, R4)
After a promising start to her career, Cardigan Queen went off the boil – finishing out of the placings in five consecutive runs. However, Maher and Eustace appear to have her back to her best, coming from near-last to storm over the top of her BM78 rivals.

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Pintoff (Sandown, R6)
Rejuvenated sprinter Pintoff proved his first-up win at $13 was no fluke with a shock victory in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes. The heavily-backed Katsu ($1.60F) ran to the lead at the 200m but was claimed late by the $26 roughie in a rough start to the Sandown quaddie.



Brayden Star (Sandown, R8)
Promising import Brayden Star showed he could be a spring player with a barnstorming victory in the eighth. It was only a BM84 but he showed a lovely turn-of-foot to win with authority at his second run for the campaign.



Chris Waller (Eagle Farm, Randwick)
He chalked up a treble before the clock had struck 1pm on Saturday. Yasuke (BM78, 1600m) and Kukeracha (G3 Premier’s Cup, 2400m) got home at Eagle Farm, after Tannhauser claimed yet another 2YO race for the stable. Tannhauser ($12) was the stable’s second-elect in the race with Matusalem ($5) not firing. He made it four winners at the metro meets with the dominant performance of Kovalica in the Derby – he also picked up a win late at Ipswich with Chernak. Just another day out for the Waller team, really.

Damien Thornton (Eagle Farm)
Yasuke ($2.90F) and Cifrado ($12) made for a prominent day for the Victorian native. Fair to say he was a bit stiff not to turn it into a treble in the last, finding a few bums on Aureus Angel ($16) before flashing home for third down the outside.

Tony Gollan (Eagle Farm)
A double on a G1 day is borderline par for the premier Brisbane trainer, with Antino and Comrade Rosa getting him into the winner’s stall.

Reece Jones (Randwick)
Mirra View ($9.50) and Conscript ($8) saw the apprentice make the most of his chances – they were two of his four single-figure chances on the card. He’s well-down the pecking order in terms of the Sydney premiership, but these are the kinds of meetings he can cash in with winter looming – and he did just that on Saturday.

Ryan/Alexiou (Randwick)
Conscript ($8) and the quinella of Cisco Bay ($14)/Steely ($31) saw the Sydney stable jag a running double in the quaddie legs.

Ben Price (Murray Bridge)
After an incredibly tough week, apprentice Ben Price made an emotional – and triumphant – return to the races at Murray Bridge. A week after losing his mother Belinda following a long battle with pancreatic cancer, the 20-year-old was back in the saddle and fittingly tasted success with his first ride. Price partnered Michael Hickmott’s debutant Fancify ($7.50) in the second event, the filly defying a wide barrier to come out on top after a duel with odds-on favourite Wally West in the straight. It was a feel-good moment, providing some positivity after a really difficult period. 



Kayla Crowther and Richard and Chantelle Jolly (Murray Bridge)
It was a big day at the office for jockey Kayla Crowther and father-daughter training combination Richard and Chantelle Jolly, joining forces for a double together and all going home with trebles. They bookended the nine-race card with Kalasec and Solar Blast, while Crowther also saluted aboard Garret Lynch’s Smiling Assassin and the Jollys prevailed with smart three-year-old Klabel, Jake Toeroek aboard that one.



Second To Nun (Murray Bridge, R7)
The most visually impressive performance of the day came from the Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea-prepared Second To Nun, who grew wings in the home straight to storm to a brilliant victory in the seventh race. The three-year-old filly put the writing on the wall with a flashing fourth last start and she took another step forward. It was the first win of a running double for jockey Todd Pannell, who also saluted with Shayne Cahill’s The Gov. 

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Sinners

Good And Proper (Sandown, R3)
It was a career-worst run from the Ellerton-trained galloper, failing to beat a runner home as a $3.80 favourite. She never appeared to travel at any stage so perhaps the Sandown stewards’ report will shed some light on the performance.

Dashing (Sandown, R5)
He’s had a ripper prep but it might be spell time for Dashing after an uncharacteristic flop over the Sandown mile. If you backed Euphoric here, there isn’t a drink in the world stiff enough. What a horror bob!



Home Rule (Sandown, R7)
Today’s performance – 9th, beaten 6.65L – probably showed that Home Rule really needs it near-bottomless to show his best. He was a big winner on a Heavy 10 at the ‘Bool two-back but was poor back on a firmer track.

Pinstriped & Gunstock (Sandown, R9)
It was a tough day for many punters at Sandown and it didn’t get any easier in the last, with the two favourites Pinstriped and Gunstock finishing out of the top two. The victory of Normandy Bridge completed a riding treble for Harry Coffey after earlier wins on Cardigan Queen and Monarch Of Egypt.



Luncies (Eagle Farm, R4)
The grey has got ability – an ability to find one better. In his past 14 outings, he’s finished 2nd eight times plus one third-placing – without a win in that period. He descended like the winner on Saturday, only for Without A Fight to somewhat comfortably blouse him in the end. Granted, it has taken a good one to beat him – but its now been over two years since he won, so it might be between the ears for him now.

Kin (Randwick, R7)
One win from 10 now for the Godolphin filly, who has only started longer than double-figures once. In her nine career defeats, she’s been $3.30 or shorter in four of them.

Outback Action (Murray Bridge, R6)
He flies on the smaller tracks that suit on-pace runners but it’s a different story at the bigger circuits. Peter Moody’s four-year-old was dominant leading all the way at Mornington last start and she jumped a $1.85 favourite for his trip across the border but despite running the race at his own leisure, was left wanting late and faded to finish seventh. Disappointing.

The Winners

Royal Randwick Saturday 27th May Full Results SP Margin
R1 1400m 8 Tannhauser J Ford, C Waller


$12.00 0.27L
R2 1400m 8 Demitasse B Prebble, P Messara


$5.00 1.12L
R3 1200m 4 Crafty Eagle K Latham, J Thompson


$6.00 2.64L
R4 1200m 1 Yoshino Z Lloyd, J Cummings


$9.00 0.23L
R5 1400m 11 Mirra View R Jones, P P Snowden


$9.50 1.41L
R6 2000m 12 Naval College J Stanley, A Neasham


$4.40 0.33L
R7 1100m 14 Iowna Merc R King, B Baker


$3.60 0.43L
R8 1100m 10 Conscript R Jones, G R S Alexiou


$8.00 1.16L
R9 1400m 12 Cisco Bay R Dolan, G R S Alexiou


$14.00 0.86L
R10 1300m 7 Phearson D Gibbons, B Widdup


$3.80 2.67L

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