Emperor ready to lord it over rivals
BEST VALUE TRIAL TIP
BELVEDERE BOYS
EAGLE FARM
RACE 8 No.9 Lightly raced galloper from the in-form Matt Dunn yard can bring his midweek form to Saturday level. Yes, he will go back here from the wide draw. But that has been his pattern to date and he can produce a decent finishing burst, which was the case at Doomben first up when charging past his rivals in the straight. Happy to back on an each-way basis. $5.50
TERMAGANT $2.60 SUNSHINE COAST (tonight) RACE 2 No.3 Deep Field filly who showed good ability at the trials before debuting with a charging second at Ipswich over the short 800m scamper. She began well but from the wide draw, jockey Emily Lang had no option than to go back and come deep cornering. This time around she steps up 200m and draws a much better gate. Expect her to be closer in the run and winning.
One-time Golden Slipper hopeful Emperor broke his pelvis as a young horse but will be tested over 1400m at Eagle Farm on Saturday as trainer Matt Dunn plots a path towards a $1m race in Sydney.
Emperor is an $11 chance in early betting on the Country Championships Final at Randwick on April 6, with the race boosted from $500,000 to $1m this year.
It is a race where Dunn also has likely candidate Derry Grove, who won in impressive fashion on Gold Coast Magic Millions day, as the $8 equal favourite in early betting.
Emperor, who was strong late when winning at Eagle Farm last start, has never raced at further than 1200m.
Dunn wants the four-year-old gelding to replicate that last start effort over 1400m on Saturday where he is the $3.10 favourite.
“The test for this horse on Saturday is to see how he goes over 1400(m) more than anything,” Dunn said.
“The idea is to take him to the Country Championships. The way he raced last start I would have thought he would get
ARTFUL GIRL
EAGLE FARM
RACE 3 No.10 I haven’t seen a horse travel so well into the straight than this mare when winning at Doomben last start. Jockey Martin Harley hadn’t moved as she coasted up to the leader and once he breathed on her the race was all over. She’s appreciated the step up in distance of late. Only lightly raced. she has plenty of improvement to come. Have to be in her corner tomorrow. $4 1400m, his best part was late in the race.
“He could also be a Queensland winter carnival horse for sure, if he keeps improving and building his confidence.”
A son of I Am Invincible, Emperor showed early signs of living up to his pedigree with a debut third behind Sejardan in the 2021 Breeders’ Plate at Randwick. Later, he fractured his pelvis in a trial and was out of racing for more than a year.
“Early days he was going to be a Golden Slipper horse,” Dunn said. “But he had a really bad habit when he was a young horse of ripping his shoes off and he hurt himself.
“We got him back from that and he busted his pelvis. Horses do get back from having a fractured pelvis, but it certainly wasn’t ideal.
“He has always had loads of talent, he has always been one of the better horses in my stable.
“He is probably now racing up to what we thought he would be.”
At the start of this campaign, Emperor was turned over twice at short odds at Randwick then Doomben, but Dunn said that was through no fault of the horse and he struck bad situations on both occasions.
WALLENDA
ROSEHILL
RACE 10 No.12 Lightly raced Trapeze Artist colt from the Maher stable will relish the step-up to 1200m, based on his latest outing. He settled last in the small field here a fortnight ago with eventual winner Caballus. While there was plenty of hype around Caballus’s finishing burst, this one’s sectionals home were very similar. A repeat performance suggests he’ll be hard to beat. $8.50
SHOPPING ESPRIT
EAGLE FARM
RACE 9 No.5 Caught the eye late when resuming in The Buffering before up to 1600m in the latest and well in the market when third behind Freedom Rally, who led and was able to get away with cheap sectionals in front. No horse was going to run him down unless he stopped badly, which wasn’t the case. Super consistent.
Selections by Chris Nelson $3.60