AS THE QUEENSLAND WINTER CARNIVAL KICKS OFF, HERE IS A LOOK AT THE FIELD FOR THE QUEENSLAND GUINEAS

By Graham Potter | Saturday, May 1, 2021

APACHE CHASE:

The Listed Daybreak Lover winner when trashing Mass Destruction by 2.75 lengths last start over 1400m. His impressive record includes a Group 3 win in the Vo Rogue (beating Gotta Kiss, who ran second to Rothfire in the Group 1 J J Atkins last season) by 1.25 lengths) as well as a third place result behind Isotope and Away Game in the Listed Gold Edition and a fourth place finish behind Aim in the Magic Millions Three-Year-Old Guineas. He has yet to race beyond 1500m, but the 1600m here is not expected to be a problem. Also, very importantly, he loves Eagle Farm. All four of his career wins have come at this venue. At set weights, a big chance to keep the prize at home.

HOLYFIELD

Also a four-time winner, Holyfield has two Group 3 wins to credit … the Baillieu and the Ming Dynasty. He was also placed in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes. All of those results (and his other wins) came when he was in the care of the Ciaron Maher/David Eustace training partnership. He was then transferred out of that stable to trainer Annabel Neasham and, after being given three trials, Holyfield made his debut for his new stable in April after a five-and-a-half month layoff from race action finishing down the track behind Ellsberg and Private Eye in the Listed South Pacific Classic over 1400m. To put that first-up run in perspective though, Ellsberg is a three time winner from six starts and Private Eye has won five out of eight, so they are no slouches. A point to note is that Holyfield is currently unbeaten second-up (two from two) and has the advantage of drawing pole position.

PRIVATE EYE:

Also raced in the South Pacific Classic. He carried 1.5kg less than Holyfield that day and he beat the Neasham trainer runner home by 5.40 lengths. He might still have a race fitness edge on Holyfield, but these two runners now meet at level weights which should put them closer together. All five of Private Eye’s wins came in succession (from Maiden to Benchmark 78). He has yet to race past 1350m, but you wouldn’t want to second guess astute trainer Joe Pride’s decision to take on the 1600 and jockey Brenton Avdulla steps up to add his vote of confidence into the mix. Like Holyfield, Private Eye makes his Queensland debut here.

TUMBLER RIDGE:

A last start winner in a Three-Year-Old Handicap over the distance at Doomben obvious. Also has a win at the track to his credit as well. Last season the chestnut filly caught the eye when finishing fourth in the Group 3 Dalrello Stakes over 1200m (behind Smart ‘N’ Sexy) and third in the Listed Tattersall’s Club Stakes over 1400m (behind Plurocrat). Has been showing progressive improvement this preparation.

ROLLINWITHTHE FLOW:

A winner last start over 1350m at Doomben. He is a runner with good strike rate (5 wins from eleven starts). Before that Doomben win he finished third in The Jewel behind Simply Fly at the Gold Coast over 1200m. Has some versatility having won at Eagle Farm, Doomben, the Sunshine Coast and Rockhampton and he has won on good and soft going and has yet to run a bad race. Will have every chance, but this is clearly the biggest test of his career and the chances are he will have to lift to another gear if he is to have the major say here.

BUCHAREST:

One of two Chris Waller trained runners in the race. You would have to think that Hugh Bowman has the choice of rides travelling to Queensland, so his presence aboard here is noteworthy factor. The colt finished unplaced in his last two starts, but you can’t dismiss him on that basis as those runs were both in Group 1 company in the Randwick Guineas and the Rosehill Guineas which were won by Lion’s Roar and Mo’unga respectively. He does have a Group 1 placing to his credit having finished third behind Montefilia and Lion’s Roar in the Spring Champion Stakes over 2000m. Races fresh here and he has won first-up before.

KUKERACHA:

Has an Eagle Farm win to his credit over this distance back in December. Followed that up with an only fair run in The Wave at the Gold Coast over 1800m and was then spelled. Returned in the Listed South Pacific Classic at Randwick two weeks ago with an unplaced, yet produced solid enough effort behind the very useful Ellsberg. With that run under his belt, and the Waller refining touch in-between, he is sure to put in a competitive performance here. It would be a fitting reward for local rider Luke Dittman, who does a lot of work for Waller’s Gold Coast stable, if he were to win this one.

BE WATER MY FRIEND:

Has been handled well enough by trainer Daiki Chujo who gave the gelding two trials to bring him along before putting him to work. Finished third and then second in his first two runs after resuming, but the came unstuck when taking on Listed company in the Daybreak Lover when beaten 7.50 lengths by Apache Chase. Hard to see him being able to reverse that result.

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