Qld Oaks moved to Doomben from Eagle Farm
The Queensland Oaks meeting this weekend has been transferred from the much-maligned Eagle Farm track to Doomben.
Racing Queensland is also expected to confirm the Group I Stradbroke Handicap meeting on June 10 will be transferred to Doomben but it will first have to be cleared legally by the RQ board.
RQ officials met Brisbane Race Club representatives for an hour on Monday morning to discuss the changes.
Racing Minister Grace Grace was to attend the meeting but was called to cabinet at the last minute.
Following the meeting, the BRC was issued with two legal control body instructions – the first not to race at Eagle Farm on Saturday and the second to race at Doomben.
No legal instruction was issued regarding the Stradbroke but it is expected to be given the green light at an upcoming RQ board meeting.
The switch followed wide-ranging complaints from industry members about the state of the Eagle Farm track – including New Zealand trainers and owners – during Saturday’s Kingsford Smith Cup meeting.
The change of venue means some distance changes with the Queensland Oaks going back from 2400m to 2200m, the Moreton Cup from 1300m to 1200m, the Lightning Handicap from 1000m to 1050m, the Spear Chief Handicap from 1500m,to 1600m, and the Phoenix from 1500m to 1350m.
The distances for the P J O’Shea Stakes, Bill Carter Stakes and Helen Coughlan Stakes will remain the same.
BRC chairman Neville Bell said he was unable to comment further than to confirm the club had been instructed to race at Doomben and would comply.
He said staff were now working to ensure corporate functions and presales could be handled at the smaller Doomben course. The next scheduled Eagle Farm meeting is for Tattersall’s Tiara day on June 24 but no decision has been made on it.
Maintenance work is continuing at Eagle Farm.
The connections of Shenandoah will continue their quest for blacktype with the filly in the mix for the Queensland Oaks at Doomben.
Trent Busuttin, who trains in partnership with Natalie Young, says Shenandoah deserves a shot at the Group One classic on Saturday following her last start.
After racing wide throughout, Shenandoah finished fourth to Kenedna in The Roses (2000m) at Doomben on May 20.
‘‘She raced out of her skin being three-deep without cover the whole way,’’ Busuttin said.
‘‘She was just nutted on the line for third and was beaten just less than two lengths from a couple of handy fillies after a tough run.
‘‘She came through the run fantastic so we’ll press on to the Oaks.’’
Although Shenandoah is stepping up to 2200m for the first time on Saturday, Busuttin doesn’t think the trip will pose a problem after her latest performance.
After beginning her career in New Zealand, Shenandoah has raced seven times in Australia with her sole win in a maiden at her home base at Cranbourne. Meanwhile a day after winning the Kingsford Smith Cup in Brisbane, Hugh Bowman has claimed another Group One win in Hong Kong. Bowman rode the John Moore-trained Werther to a dominant victory in Sunday’s Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) at Sha Tin, the final Group One race of the Hong Kong season.
Clearly Innocent’s win in Saturday’s Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm took Bowman’s Group One tally in Australia this season to 12.
He also has won three Group One races in Hong Kong, two on reigning Horse of the Year Werther and one on Lucky Bubbles. High domestic spring hopes are held for a New Zealand-bred galloper with an impressive overseas racing record.
Racing in Hong Kong as Packing Pins, the six-year-old won six of his 19 starts from the stable of Ricky Yiu and was Group placed before joining the Cambridge operation of Trevor and Martin Cruz.
The brothers’ mother, Angel, now races the gelding, under which he initially won all three of his trials for Matamata trainers Ken and Bev Kelso before heading to Hong Kong.
‘‘He was running over a mile in his last few starts there and I think that was too far for him,’’ Trevor Cruz said.