Sears up for the battle
BATTLE Plane is set to fly the flag for trainers Tony and Maddysen Sears who have three strong chances at Aquis Park on Saturday.
The four-year-old gelding has won three of his five starts for the Toowoomba training partnership and heads the Gold Coast assault along with first starter Dazzling Queen and Maiden horse Rostrum.
The frontrunning Battle Plane has been installed as one of the favourites for the BenchMark 65 Handicap (1800m) and Tony Sears expects the gelding to be hard to run down despite having to carry plenty of weight.
“He should run well. He has been in good form lately. He is doing everything right,” Sears said.
“He has won three out of five since I have had him.
“He is a good, honest horse. Bowling along in the lead, he takes a bit of running down, but I am just a bit concerned about the weight.”
Battle Plane was set to carry the top weight of 62kg when the final field was released and Sears has elected to stick with regular rider, claiming apprentice Alex Patis, who will reduce his impost by 2kg.
“Alex rides a bit for us. We like her. She came up and rode some jumpouts for us on Tuesday,” Sears said.
“We have had good success with her and she is coming up to ride a couple on Saturday night up here (Toowoomba).”
Patis will also be aboard two-year-old filly Dazzling Queen who will face the starter for the first time in the QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden
Handicap (900m). Dazzling Queen has shown some promise in a couple of jumpouts in Toowoomba and Sears expects the Red Dazzler filly to acquit herself well.
“She does everything right and she is probably a chance,” he said.
Jag Guthmann-Chester takes the ride on Rostrum who will carry the top weight in the Maiden Handicap (1100m).
Rostrum is overdue for a win after being runner-up at his only two starts in Maiden class in Toowoomba.
Sears would like to see the three-year-old ridden off the speed after he was run down last start after setting the pace.
“He has been unlucky. Last start he went forward and led, but we didn’t expect that as the whole family is supposed to go pretty good ridden back a bit,” Sears said.
“He would be a very good chance with the good alley. He has a bit of weight but he has a few upsides to him and he is a nice horse.
“He will probably sit about third or fourth and should prove hard to beat.”
The Sears father and daughter training partnership was back in the winner’s stall on Friday at Ipswich with Sertin scoring a narrow victory in the BenchMark 62 Handicap (800m).
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