Brisbane’s Brian Smith is confident his local young stayer Order Again can run a gun Queensland Derby lead-up when he takes on a field of interstate and Kiwi-trained raiders in the 2017 Grand Prix Stakes at home this weekend.
Larry Cassidy rides Queensland Derby hope Order Again in Saturday’s Grand Prix Stakes 2017 at Eagle Farm. Photo: Daniel Costello.
Markets at Ladbrokes.com.au on Saturday’s $150,000 Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) are dominated by the New Zealand raider Shocking Luck ($3.20) coming off a win in the Rough Habit Plate at Doomben and the James Cummings-trained Victoria Derby winner from last spring Prized Icon ($3.80).
Punters can then find Order Again on the third line of Grand Prix Stakes betting paying $5.50 as the best fancied of the Brisbane hopefuls for the Kingsford-Smith Cup Day clash.
Order Again is drawn barrier seven with Larry Cassidy continuing his successful association with the son of Iffraaj.
Two back the duo saluted over 1500m at Eagle Farm on Heavy going by a runaway seven and a half lengths in a Benchmark 70.
Order Again then stepped-up in grade at Doomben on May 13 where he was second past the post behind Shocking Luck in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m).
Beaten nearly three lengths that day, the gelding had a tough run from the outside alley (13 of 13) and will be better suited to the roomier Eagle Farm course as he looks to turn the tables on his last start conqueror this Saturday.
“I was happy when the draw came and he has drawn reasonably in seven, he is going to get a nicer trip and race a lot handier than he did last start,” Smith told Racing Victoria on Thursday.
“His last run was enormous, it is always hard for a three-year-old to go around two bends for the first time, at only his third run up this season, I thought it was incredible.”
Looking further ahead to the $600,000 Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) back at Eagle Farm in a fortnight’s time and Order Again is currently the equal $6 second favourite in futures markets with Prized Icon.
Those all-in Queensland Derby odds have Shocking Luck ($5) on top and there will be a market update post the results of Saturday’s Grand Prix Stakes.
“He has come a long way in a short space of time and what I like about him is that he has got a turn of foot, in his maiden he picked up a horse at the Sunshine Coast that was leading by eight lengths, he picked it up and spat it out, there was a massive margin to the third horse,” four-time Group 1 winning trainer Smith said of Order Again.
“When they can break 34 seconds doing that and can stay, they tend to have a bit up their sleeve.
“Larry Cassidy is also quite excited, he has won three Derbies here in Brisbane before and he has ridden some great horses, he likes this bloke.
“I keep saying to him, ‘keep calm, we’ve still got a few weeks till the Derby yet’, but he is going to have a lovely run and be hard to beat this Saturday.”
To back Order Again this weekend and in the current Queensland Derby markets at the right price visit Ladbrokes.com.au.
