The last key Queensland Derby lead-up runs at Doomben Racecourse on Saturday, nominations for the Grand Prix Stakes 2016 on Doomben 10,000 Day now out.

2016 Queensland Derby favourite Mackintosh headlines nominations for the Grand Prix Stakes at Doomben this weekend. Photo: Daniel Costello.

This season’s $150,000 Group 3 Mullins Lawyers Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) has attracted a bumper 19 nominations, many of the three-year-olds in the mix heading to Eagle Farm on June 11 for a shot at the $600,000 Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m).

Brambles (2012) and Hawkspur (2013) are the latest winners of the Grand Prix Stakes – Queensland Derby double, and futures betting for next month’s Group 1 this year are led by Chris Waller’s Rough Habit winner Mackintosh.

Mackintosh is also the headline Grand Prix Stakes nominee and is a stablemate of the aforementioned 2013 winner Hawkspur.

All-in Queensland Derby odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have Waller’s in-form Pins gelding at $2.80 to take out the mile and half classic and if accepted he also set to start top fancy for the Grand Prix on the weekend.

Two back he won over 1500m at Hawksbury ahead of his runaway 2.8 length win in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben where he returns on Saturday.

Waller has also nominated for his last start Rosehill winner Encosta Line who saluted over 1900m by four lengths in Sydney on May 7 and O’Reilly colt Multifacets out to atone for a distant ninth to his stablemate in the Rough Habit a fortnight back.

The other best Rough Habit Plate graduates nominated for the rematch in the Grand Prix on the weekend are runner-up Cylinder Beach, fourth in last year’s Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) over the mile, and third placed Brazen.

Brisbane’s Desleigh Forster prepares Showcasing gelding Cylinder Beach who won the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1630m) in late April before his second in the Rough Habit last time out.

Brazen meanwhile is trained by Sydney horseman David Vandyke and saluted in the wet by 2.5 lengths over 1800m at the Sunshine Coast on May 4 before his third in the Rough Habit Plate 10 days later.

The other big name nominee for the Grand Prix Stakes this Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival is the Darren Weir-trained Howard Be Thy Name.

A flying Redoute’s Choice colt, Howard Be Thy Name has won his past four starts on the trot including the Group 1 SA Derby (2500m) on May 14 at Morphettville in Adelaide.

He runs in Brisbane for the first time this weekend if Weir and connections pay the acceptance fee on way to attempting the SA Derby – QLD Derby double that he pays $8 to complete, an equal price with Cylinder Beach.

Other notable Grand Prix Stakes nominees this season include the Bryan Guy-trained Gold Coast galloper Eagle Way who comes off a Rough Habit fourth and Tony Pike’s New Zealand-trained Zabeel filly Provocative who saluted at Ipswich last Wednesday.

Provocative is using the Grand Prix Stakes as a possible lead-up into Saturday week’s Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) where she’ll take on a field of fellow fillies over the mile and a half at Eagle Farm.

Check out the full Grand Prix Stakes 2016 nominations below before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for early access to the best all-in Queensland Oaks and Derby markets.

2016 Grand Prix Stakes Nominations

Doomben Racecourse – 28/05/2016