Weir stars on trial for Queensland bid

SEVERAL of Darren Weir’s big-race contenders in Adelaide this weekend are also on trial to join high-profile stablemate Gailo Chop in a Queensland winter campaign.

Weir confirmed yesterday that Gailo Chop was on target for the Doomben Cup, but he was unlikely to run in Saturday’s Hollindale Stakes on the Gold Coast.

Gailo Chop’s most recent run was when second to Winx in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 14.

“Gailo Chop is our main Doomben Cup horse but I would think he probably doesn’t need to run before then. A month between runs won’t hurt him,” Weir said on Radio TAB’s Past The Post yesterday.

“That looks a good race for him, on speed, weightfor-age, hopefully a little bit of give in the ground.

“He’s pulled up well since his couple of Sydney runs.”

Weir said he was unlikely to have any runners at the Gold Coast, with his team for Queensland likely to be determined by what happens over the next three weeks in Adelaide. “You target a few horses and they might go by the wayside,” he

said. “Gailo Chop, Peaceful State (Queensland Guineas), there’s a couple of other three-yearolds and then depending how the three-year-old fillies get through Adelaide. Whispering Brook and Quilista can come up for the Tatts Tiara depending how they run in Adelaide.” Weir has three nominations for Saturday’s Group 1 Schweppes Oaks, including impressive Flemington Anzac Day winner Think Bleue.

“Think Bleue was being trained at Ballarat and after she won the race at Moonee Valley we decided to target Adelaide,” Weir said.

“She was getting a bit light in condition and I sent her down to Warrnambool and Jarrod (McLean) has been mucking around with her a bit.

“She looked a lot better at the races on Flemington on Wednesday condition-wise.

“She will come on from that because she’s had a pretty easy month, so we’re looking forward to seeing her in the Oaks.”