The Group 1 $5m Stella Artois Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield will be Egg Tart’s major 2018 Melbourne Spring Carnival target.
Egg Tart, above in red and green colours, will be set for the 2018 Caulfield Cup at Caulfield. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
The Chris Waller trained Egg Tart returned to the winner’s stall for the first time in twelve months with a convincing win in the Group 2 $200,000 Bradford Access Insulation P.J. O’Shea Stakes (2200m) at the Sunshine Coast last Saturday.
Egg Tart showed at her previous start that a win was not far away when second to her stablemate Comin’ Through in the Group 1 $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben two weeks earlier and was sent out as the $2.30 favourite for the weight for age P.J. O’Shea Stakes.
Winning jockey Leith Innes rode a confident race and after settling Egg Tart near the tail of the eight horse field, made his move at the 600m and had the mare still under double wraps as she moved around the field on the home turn.
Innes hardly moved on Egg Tart before she ran away from her opposition in the straight to record an effortless two and a half lengths wins over the Darren Weir trained Tradesman ($6.50) with the Kiwi galloper Megablast ($5.50) sticking on for third after setting the pace.
Waller’s Queensland foreman Paul Shailer said that the dual Oaks winner will now have a break in Queensland before starting her Spring Carnival preparation that will be aimed towards the 2018 Caulfield Cup.
“But she is coming back to her best after a couple of interrupted preparations. Chris was keen to test her at the 2200m again and that is why she is here today,” Shailer said.
“She will it has spell here in the sunshine and then Chris is keen to see how she measures up to a race like the Caulfield Cup in the spring.”
Egg Tart’s 2018 Queensland Winter Racing Carnival campaign was the mare’s second trip to the Sunshine State after claiming the 2017 Group 1 $500,000 Treasury Brisbane Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Doomben which came on the back of her win in the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Oaks (registered as Australasian Oaks) (2000m) at Morphettville.
Pre-post betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for the 2018 Caulfield Cup has Egg Tart marked at $34 while the Darren Weir trained English import Kings Will Dream heads the market order at $10.
Kings Will Dream is unbeaten from five runs in Australia under Weir and gained exemption from the ballot for the 2018 Caulfield Cup with his win in the Listed $300,000 Mornington Cup (2400m) at Mornington on March 24.
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