After toying with the idea of paying a late entry for the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap, connections of last Saturday’s Queensland Guineas winner Sir Moments have stuck with original plans to race in the 2014 Daybreak Lover.
One of nine Black-Type races on the Eagle Farm card for this Saturday, the $125,000 Listed Best Security Daybreak Lover (1600m) is set to run as Race 3 at 12:35pm.
Sure to be favourite heading the field is the Steven O’Dea-trained Sir Moments after their second stakes win at the track in as many weeks.
Last Saturday the progressive Choisir gelding posted their fourth win from nine career starts when hanging on in a photo-finish with Liberty’s Choice to win the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1400m).
O’Dea and the owners briefly considered giving them a shot at the $1.36 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) by paying the $43,200 late entry after their Guineas triumph.
They have however opted for the easier Daybreak Lover assignment that had been on the agenda all along and give them time to mature before a Group 1 run.
“I feel this horse still has a lot of maturing to do,” O’Dea told AAP.
“Looking at him he’s still a big baby and he’s only going to get better as he gets older and continues to strengthen.”
Also on the seven day turnaround is Queensland Guineas runner-up Liberty’s Choice who is one wider than Sir Moments on Saturday with barrier nine.
Tommy Berry is booked to replace Blake Shinn aboard Gai Waterhouse’s Redoute’s Choice colt who is looking to shrug their second placegetter status having also finished runner-up to stablemate Cosmic Endeavour in the Inglis Scone Guineas two runs back.
Waterhouse has also accepted for Longma out in barrier 11, the Sebring colt having run a disappointing 10th in the Queensland Guineas last weekend when beaten just over three lengths.
The other big name Daybreak Lover acceptor this year is then Rob Heathcote’s Hopfgarten who won four on the trot before finishing well back in the Group 3 Fred Best Classic (1350m) on May 17.
The Mossman three-year-old was on fire earlier this prep including their Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1600m) win at Eagle Farm at the end of April.
They didn’t handle a trip back to Doomben over less distance in the Fred Best though when 14th beaten six lengths by the winner Havana, an emergency for Saturday’s Stradbroke Handicap field.
Hopfgarten then should appreciate getting back up to a mile for the Daybreak Lover this weekend.
Other notable hopes in the race then include the rails-drawn Oak ‘N’ Arthur coming off a Gold Coast win over 1800m from May 24, runner-up in that same race All Things In Time and Mr Ahlberoni coming off back-to-back Sunshine Coast wins.
The full Daybreak Lover Stakes 2014 field, barriers and jockeys are detailed below.
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2014 Daybreak Lover Final Field & Barrier Draw
Eagle Farm Race 3 (12:35pm) – 07/06/2014
# | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6117x5x161 | SIR MOMENTS | Steven O’dea | Timothy Bell | 8 | 57kg | 95 |
2 | 225×394722 | LIBERTY’S CHOICE | Gai Waterhouse | Tommy Berry | 9 | 57kg | 85 |
3 | 68×8311110 | HOPFGARTEN | Robert Heathcote | Damian Browne | 7 | 57kg | 86 |
4 | 160×263140 | LONGMA | Gai Waterhouse | Blake Shinn | 11 | 57kg | 73 |
5 | 34153×1631 | OAK ’N’ ARTHUR | John Morrisey | Ryan Wiggins | 1 | 57kg | 71 |
6 | 15431×76 | ROUGH COPY (NZ) | Wayne Hillis | Glen Boss | 3 | 57kg | 69 |
7 | 156×612 | SMART HUSS | John, Dan & Chris Meagher | Damien Oliver | 6 | 57kg | 69 |
8 | 19×4766612 | ALL THINGS IN TIME | John P Thompson | Hugh Bowman | 5 | 57kg | 60 |
9 | 4×11 | MR AHLBERONI | Bruce W Hill | Michael Cahill | 4 | 57kg | 66 |
10 | 212547×80 | WORDPLAY | Anthony Cummings | Tye Angland | 10 | 55kg | 73 |
11 | 7914441×67 | MISS HUSSON | Bruce W Hill | Chris Munce | 2 | 55kg | 71 |