Distance test for Shoes

TWO Shoes has won three short-course races but trainer Tony Sears has always believed the filly can stretch out to a middle distance.

She gets that chance at Doomben today when she steps up to 1630m in the QTIS Three-Year-Old.

By Group 2-winning sprinter Jet Spur, Two Shoes showed speed to win her first two starts over 870m on her home track at Toowoomba and 1050m at Doomben.

Sears has always thought she would be far better ridden behind the pace and he was heartened when Two Shoes ran second to subsequent Group 1 winner Sacred Elixir over 1400m at the Sunshine Coast in May.

“She came from last early and really hit the line that day,” Sears said.

He has since changed her training pattern and taught her to settle further back.

“She again came from last to win first-up over 1200m and again ran on strongly when second at her next start,” Sears said.

Two Shoes is a $14 chance, with Ahndras the dominant $2.40 favourite for the powerful combination of Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds and jockey Jeff Lloyd.

Edmonds and Lloyd combined for their 35th winner from 96 runners when Bound For Love won at Eagle Farm on Wednesday. Ahndras has won her past two starts and will take another step in a campaign her trainer hopes will lead to Classic glory.

Edmonds wants to assess how she handles today’s race before deciding whether to tackle the Australian Oaks in Sydney or prepare her for the Queensland Oaks.

Lloyd and Edmonds will also combine with Always Sacred (Race 5), Queen Tara (Race 6), Siegfried (Race 8) and Fiery Heights (Race 9).

Stakes performer Blue Lion will need to reproduce some of his best form today to ward off retirement. Blue Lion steps up to 2000m for the first time in three years when he races in the Open Handicap (2030m).

Trainer Paul Duncan believes retirement might not be far away for Blue Lion but first he is keen to try him as a middle-distance horse.

“He is by Zabeel so it has always been in the back of my mind to try him over some ground,” Duncan said.