After last week’s successful return to Eagle Farm, the Brisbane winter carnival has a change of direction this Saturday with the Eye Liner Stakes (Race 7) over 1350m amongst the feature race action out at Ipswich.
The Michael Lakey-trained Trubia went around in the QTC Cup won by Spill the Beans and having drawn the rails he has come up a firm favourite but we aren’t entirely convinced that he should be that short and will be looking to take him on.
Saluter was a handy winner on the Sunshine Coast first-up last month and gives every indication that he could measure up here, although Robert Heathcote will be sweating on the predicted thunderstorms staying away.
Former Villiers Stakes winner Ninth Legion (pictured above) has been allocated the topweight of 59kgs with Damien Browne, who won this race aboard Smokin’ Joey last year, set to take the ride.
Since transferring to the yard of jockey turned trainer Peter Robl in the summer, the six-year-old gelding has shown little of his former wares, finishing down the track in the Luskin Star Stakes at Scone before failing to come to grips with the heavy track at Rosehill a fortnight ago.
Of the others, Pillar of Creation (pictured above) had been racing in good form prior to a last start flop in the Prime Ministers Cup where he was caught wide throughout.
He’s well placed in this grade but having drawn awkwardly again out in 10 he will need a bit of luck.
