Indeed, Browne is set to have a major say in proceedings with Artibai amongst the leading contenders in the Provincial Stayers Championship, while our traders are also expecting him to prove hard to beat aboard favourite Maurus in the Ipswich Cup over 2150m.
Having run a sound race behind Our Ivanhowe in the Doomben Cup, Maurus had been set to go around in the Eagle Farm Cup but the abandonment of that meeting forced a rethink in trainer David van Dyke’s plans and he arrives at Ipswich hoping for a change of luck.
Darren Weir’s Puccini is on the seven-day back-up after a disappointing performance in the Brisbane Cup but the weight of history is surely against him here with no topweight emerging with the chocolates in this race for more than 50 years!
Instead, we are expecting the main challenge to come from Chris Waller’s imported stayer Dance of Heroes, who drops 7kgs off his last run at Randwick and should be able to take up a forward position from his favourable alley.