Danon Liberty in doubt
MASTER trainer Darren Weir doubts his highly rated Japanese import Danon Liberty can sneak into the field for Saturday’s $1.5 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Doomben after being bumped to first emergency yesterday.
The impressive six-year-old looked almost certain to gain a run in recent days, but was relegated when Aquis Farm decided to pay a $45,000 late entry fee for last-start Moreton Cup winner The Monstar.
It means Weir has to rely on a scratching to secure a start for Danon Liberty, who has been heavily backed to win his first race in Australia. He still rates as a $9 chance for the 1350m Stradbroke, having been as much as $26 a week ago.
“It will be hard for us to get in now, I would have thought,” a disappointed Weir said.
“Who wants to scratch a horse from a Group 1 race?”
“I don’t know what happened with The Monstar, but they are the rules, and the rules say they can get in. There is not much we can do about it. It’s out of our hands now.”
Danon Liberty flew to Brisbane yesterday with Weir’s other Stradbroke runner Voodoo Lad on a chartered jet, along with a handful of other horses set to contest the big day’s racing at Doomben on Saturday.
Weir’s plan had been to give the horse one run in Brisbane and then a freshen-up to enjoy the Queensland sun ahead of a likely assault on the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
“I don’t really know what we will do now,” Weir said.
Weir said Danon Liberty was “in great shape”, but played down the comparisons that others had made with his now retired Japanese star Tosen Stardom, who was also owned by Australian Bloodstock.
“I’m not getting over the top about it,” Weir said of the hype surrounding Danon Liberty, who won a recent jumpout at Werribee
Weir’s two-pronged attack in the Queensland Derby fared differently at the barrier.
“Lucky For All drew out in the car park,” Weir said of gate 19 for the $5 chance, while he thought Heavenly Thought ($7) had “drawn the right gate” in barrier one.