Here He Comes ready for Queensland
Comin’through, who will race as Here He Comes in Australia, will carry added stable responsibility when he opens his Queensland Derby campaign at Doomben on Saturday.
Trainers Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs have lost the services of the prepost classic favourite Tavidream following his sale to Hong Kong interests.
‘‘He was going to come over for the Derby but he’s done everything on one preparation and the new owners want him to have a spell,’’ Logan said.
‘‘It’s sad to see him go but it was terrific money and that would take an awful lot of winning.’’
Tavidream won five of his seven starts, including the Championship Stakes at his final appearance, and finished runner-up in his other two appearances.
He is expected to do his future racing from Peter Ho’s Hong Kong stable.
With the son of Tavistock out of the picture for Brisbane, it will be up to Here He Comes to fly the stable flag and he will make his Australian debut this weekend in the Rough Habit Plate.
‘‘He looks fantastic he travelled over well and I’m very pleased with him,’’ Logan said.
‘‘There’s been a fair bit of rain here but he’s galloped well at Doomben and got through the ground without a problem – he’s not one dimensional.’’
Here He Comes has beaten the older horses three times over ground this season.
At his last appearance he finished seventh behind Tavidream at Ellerslie after being forced to cover extra ground.
The son of Bullbars has been ridden in all three of his victories by Leith Innes, who will continue his association with the gelding at Doomben on Saturday.
One of his rivals on Saturday is Shocking Luck, from the Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards stable.
Both horses are being aimed at the A$600,000 Group I Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm on June 10.
Autridge and Richards also have Levin Stakes winner Hall of Fame running in the Queensland Day Stakes over 1350m at Doomben and Zambezi Warrior in the A$136,000 Chairman’s Handicap over 2000m.
Also in the Chairman’s are Chocante, from Stephen Marsh’s stable and Tessastock, who has transferred from the Graham Richardson and Gavin Parker’s Matamata stable to Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young in Cranbourne.
The lone Kiwi runner in the Doomben 10,000 will be Evan and JJ Rayner’s Start Wondering, who will be ridden by Johnathan Parkes.
Sultan Of Swing, from the Shaune Ritchie stable, and William Wallace, trained by Adrian and Harry Bull, are acceptors early in the Doomben card.