Joe Pride’s ultra-consistent sprinter Ball Of Muscle is one of the top-rated nominees for the QTC Cup 2015 at Doomben Racecourse’s Queensland Oaks Day in Brisbane this weekend.
Ball Of Muscle is one of three Joe Pride-trained nominees for the 2015 QTC Cup at Doomben Racecourse this Saturday in Brisbane. Photo: Steve Hart.
One of two major support races on the program, this year’s $175,000 Group 2 Magic Millions QTC Cup (1200m) attracted 11 early entries with nominations extended by Racing Queensland (RQ) until 9am (AEST) on Tuesday morning.
Of the current nominees Pride’s Dubawi four-year-old Ball Of Muscle is a notable hope having run second in both his runs this time in.
A winner of seven of his 12 starts to date, the gelding was last seen running a length away second to Srikandi in the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at the Gold Coast in his Queensland debut.
He is one of a host of QTC Cup chances coming off a top three run last time out, including four who won their lead-up runs including one of Pride’s two other nominees Kuro.
A three-year-olds on of Denman, Kuro has a 50% winning strike rate with six wins from his dozen career tests so far and was last seen winning the Listed Mick Dittman Plate (1200m) at Doomben on May 9 giving him previous win at the same track and distance he’ll see on Saturday if accepted.
Pride’s third chance is then Target In Sight, the five-year-old son of Nadeem having run second in a Scone black-type a fortnight ago.
The other last start winners in the mix are Darren Bell’s Bribie Handicap winning seven-year-old Falino, the Donald Baker-trained Listed Weetwood Handicap champ from Toowoomba at the start of the month Mr Favulous and the Team Snowden-trained That’s A Good Idea who won the Listed Ortensia Stakes (1100m) at Scone on May 16.
The highest-rated entry meanwhile is the Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained Kiwi raider El Roca (104), the four-year-old Fastnet Rock stallion out to atone for a failed first-up 11th to upset winner Hot Snitzel in the Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 9.
Other notable QTC Cup entries this winter include Peter Moody’s Bribie Handicap third placed stallion Office Bearer and the John Thompson-trained Tale Of The Cat four-year-old Whittington who ran fourth in the Bribie Handicap last start from a wide barrier 14 (of 15) draw.
Check out the current QTC Cup 2015 nominations below, which as mentioned are extended until Tuesday morning, then head to Ladbrokes.com.au and gear up for a big Oaks Day by signing-up with the bookie rewarding new players with up to $500 in bonus bets!
2015 QTC Cup Nominations
Doomben Racecourse – 30/05/2015
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31x1121x22 | BALL OF MUSCLE | G | 4 | Joseph Pride | 100 |
| 2 | 4140x4x835 | DANCES ON STARS (NZ) | G | 5 | Gerald Ryan | 100 |
| 3 | 25x12239x0 | EL ROCA | H | 4 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 104 |
| 4 | 40x2615x71 | FALINO | G | 7 | Darren Bell | 96 |
| 5 | 11113×3281 | KURO (NZ) | C | 3 | Joseph Pride | – |
| 6 | 5×28433361 | MR FAVULOUS | G | 6 | Donald Baker | 96 |
| 7 | 10x00298x3 | OFFICE BEARER | H | 5 | Peter G Moody | 94 |
| 8 | x1714x1262 | TARGET IN SIGHT | G | 5 | Joseph Pride | – |
| 9 | x1278220x1 | THAT’S A GOOD IDEA | G | 5 | Peter & Paul Snowden | – |
| 10 | 62217633×0 | TIME TO PLUNDER | G | 6 | Liam Birchley | 93 |
| 11 | 58x65x5004 | WHITTINGTON | H | 4 | John P Thompson | 92 |