Morrisey lets Love take a slow course
GOLD Coast trainer Scott Morrisey is hoping his patience with Perilous Love will be rewarded at Group 1 level in the Queensland Oaks at Doomben today.
Bookmakers rate Perilous Love a $26 chance in an Oaks (2200m) dominated by the Chris Waller stable which has seven runners.
Perilous Love is one of only three Queenslandtrained horses to make the 16-horse field with another three the emergencies.
Morrisey originally thought Perilous Love might have been a contender for the Australian Oaks at Randwick in the autumn.
He had the Sydney classic pencilled in for Perilous Love after the filly strolled home to win a 2030m race at Doomben by 5¼ lengths in March.
At her next start, Perilous Love was anchored by 59kg when fourth in another Doomben three-year-old race over 2000m on a heavy track.
“The owners have been around racing for a long time and they decided it would be best after that hard run to give her a let-up and aim for the Queensland Oaks,” Morrisey said.
“We wanted to give her every chance in the Queensland Oaks and I feel we have done that. I hope the patience pays off.”
Perilous Love showed she was up to top company with her last-start third behind leading Oaks contenders Kenedna and Oklahoma Girl in The Roses ( 2000m) at Doomben two weeks ago.
“It was a very good run as a horse stopped in front of her and she had to go back to near last on the home turn,” Morrisey said.
“She finished really well. She has come though that run well and she is a filly on the up in her campaign while a few of the others have had to travel all over the place to get here.”
Morrisey said if Perilous Love, a daughter of Love Conquers All, could win or run a place her value as a broodmare would be boosted.
“She really is well bred and already has black-type from the The Roses run,” he said.
“Her dam is a half-sister to (Group 2 winner) Pembleton and her grandam Royal Aria won up to 2000 metres.
The Waller-trained Egg Tart is the favourite to emulate her champion stablemate Winx who claimed her first Group 1 win in the 2015 edition when the race was also over 2200m at Doomben while Eagle Farm was undergoing construction.
Egg Tart is chasing her sixth successive win today. MAN Of His Word is one of many horses who will appreciate the return to a good track at Doomben.
The Gold Coast galloper had a successful Brisbane summer carnival with the highlight his win in the Listed Brisbane Handicap at 1600m, a distance he gets back to today in the Spear Chief Stakes.
It will be his second run from a spell after he finished a well-beaten eighth behind noted wet-tracker Jungle Edge in the Group 3 BRC Sprint.
Trainer Bruce Hill expects a far better run from Man Of His Word on a dry track.
“He can handle it a bit soft but not too heavy. He can’t get the push-off to accelerate on wet tracks,” Hill said.
“I know he is stepping up from 1350 to 1600 metres after the race distance was increased from 1500 because of the switch from Eagle Farm.
“But he has had two trials and I could not have been happier with his preparation. “He looks spot-on.” Hill had been looking at the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap next weekend for Man Of His Word but he is unlikely to run.
“They have probably put an end to us running by switching back to Doomben and 1350 metres,” Hill said.