Stablemates Azuro and Yogi could clash again at Eagle Farm on Saturday after the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace trained stayers head up the nominations for the Listed $200,000 Triple M’s Big Breakfast Queensland Cup (3200m).
Azuro, above, is among the nominations for the 2019 Queensland Cup at Eagle Farm. Photo by Steve Hart.
Yogi and Azuro finished first and second in the 2018 Listed $150,000 Ladbrokes Sandown Cup (3200m) at Sandown at the end of the 2018 Melbourne Spring Carnival when under the care of disgraced trainer Darren Weir.
Both horses have had mixed form since with Azuro finding winning form with a victory in the $125,000 Stayer’s Cup (3200m) at Rosehill on June 29 while Yogi had a short break after finishing sixteenth in the Group 1 $2m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on Day two of The Championships April 13.
Yogi resumed for second to Destiny’s Kiss in the Listed $150,000 Winter Cup (2400m) at Rosehill on June 15 and the six year old will relish the step back up to the 3200m on Saturday.
Maher and Eustace have a large Victorian set up with stables at Caulfield, Pakenham, Ballarat and Balnaring while Annabel Neasham runs the Sydney base at Warwick Farm where Azuro and Yogi are now spending some time and will head to Brisbane later in the week.
“Azuro was very strong at the end of the 3200 metres in the Stayer’s Cup and Yogi won at the distance in the Sandown Cup where Azuro was second,” Neasham told AAP.
“It is hard to get a line on who will run in Brisbane but our horses have the staying form on the board.
“They don’t get many chances to run over 3200 metres and we have to take them when they come.”
Stayer’s Cup runner up Doukhan is also among the fourteen nominations for the Queensland Cup as is his Kris Lees trained stablemate Saunter Boy.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have nominated Social Element, Chris Waller has Mazaz while Brisbane’s leading trainer Tony Gollan has entered High Wind and Pollinator.
The nominations for the 2019 Queensland Cup have been extended until 9am on Tuesday, July 16 while the final acceptances will be taken at 9am on Wednesday.
Nominations for the 2019 Queensland Cup (3200m)
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 132×883061 | AZURO (FR) | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 87 |
| 2 | 267×856582 | DOUKHAN (IRE) | G | 10 | Kris Lees | 87 |
| 3 | 50×7005334 | HANG | G | 4 | Michael Nolan | 74 |
| 4 | 2206951201 | HIGH WIND | G | 6 | Tony Gollan | 71 |
| 5 | 5170467261 | HUSSON’S PRIDE | G | 4 | Kelly Doughty | 62 |
| 6 | 353×419109 | I’LL MISS YOU | M | 7 | Julie Pratten | 76 |
| 7 | 71×4095036 | MAZAZ (IRE) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 85 |
| 8 | 8474746112 | OUR MANTRA | G | 4 | Anderson Heathcote Racing | 77 |
| 9 | 3710×92634 | POLLINATOR (NZ) | M | 4 | Tony Gollan | 60 |
| 10 | 4412470275 | SAMPSON (NZ) | G | 9 | Howard Mathews | 94 |
| 11 | 811953×455 | SAUNTER BOY (FR) | G | 6 | Kris Lees | 94 |
| 12 | 563258×124 | SOCIAL ELEMENT (NZ) | G | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 82 |
| 13 | 032×121253 | TRAVISTEE (NZ) | M | 5 | Paul Jenkins | 81 |
| 14 | 071x1850x2 | YOGI (NZ) | G | 6 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 104 |
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