Toowoomba trainer Steve Tregea is out to capitalise on the good winter racing form of his progressive three-year-old Niccanova who backs-up out of a Fred Best Classic win to head the Queensland Guineas 2017 nominations for Saturday.
Group 2 winner Oak Door is nominated for a second-up run in Brisbane’s Queensland Guineas 2017 over the Doomben mile on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Nicconi gelding is one of a bumper 23 three-year-olds making up the early entries for Brisbane’s $350,000 Group 2 Ascot Green Queensland Guineas (1600m) on Stradbroke Handicap Day this weekend.
The meeting has been moved from the controversial Eagle Farm track to Doomben Racecourse where Niccanova returns for the first time since a nearly two length win as the odds-on favourite over the mile in late February.
He went on to win his next two races firstly over 1200m at the Gold Coast in mid-May and then the Group 3 Fred Best Classic (1400m) in the wet at Eagle Farm from barrier 16 (of 17) a fortnight later.
The Fred Best Classic is the key lead-up to the Queensland Guineas and on Saturday Niccanova will be out to frank the form stepping back up to a mile.
Tregea has also nominated for his last start Sunshine Coast winning Poet’s Voice filly Rhyming.
Narrow runner-up in the Fred Best Classic results from May 27 was the Toby Edmonds-trained filly Sylpheed who is another key entry for the rematch this weekend.
Prepared on the Gold Coast, the progressive daughter of Real Saga was also drawn wide in the Fred Best (barrier 15 of 17) and finished only a neck back for second.
She was also runner-up in her other latest start when three lengths beaten by the winner Good Standing in the Listed Queensland Day Stakes (1350m) at Doomben.
Sylpheed is Group 1 performed this season when a distant sixth to superstar mare Winx as a $201 roughie in Sydney’s Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) in March and is yet to win over further than 1200m.
Edmonds has also nominated for his flying Husson gelding Sneaky Glance who comes off back-to-back wins, most recently over 1420m at home on the Gold Coast on May 29.
The other best out of the Fred Best Classic nominated for the Queensland Guineas this weekend meanwhile are Les Ross’s Hidden Dragon filly River Racer (4th) and the Kelly Schweida-trained Oink (5th).
Other key entries include recent Hawkesbury Guineas third placed Hinchinbrook gelding Salsonic, Group 3 Gunsynd Classic winner Dreams Aplenty out to atone for an unplaced Fred Best Classic run getting back out over his preferred distance of a mile the Robert Smerdon-trained Commands colt Oak Door.
Prepared in Victoria, Oak Door is best known for his Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) win at home at Caulfield over Attention back in February.
He went on to run a brave ninth when under three lengths beaten by Hey Doc in Flemington’s Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) in March before a first-up fourth in the Listed Straight Six (1200m) back at the track when two lengths beaten on May 20.
Check out the full Queensland Guineas 2017 nominations below, the field and barriers along with updated markets at Ladbrokes.com.au set for release on Wednesday.
2017 Queensland Guineas Nominations
Doomben Racecourse – 10/06/2017
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23x113x278 | BILLY THE KID | G | 3 | John Meagher |
| 2 | 111×1444 | CAERLESS CHOICE | G | 3 | Paul Messara |
| 3 | 50×1441 | CHIEF JOSEPH | G | 3 | Kevin Kemp |
| 4 | 5×65741242 | CONGELATOR | G | 3 | Paula Cartledge |
| 5 | 0x42602x40 | CRACK ME UP (NZ) | G | 3 | Liam Birchley |
| 6 | 5x0x211110 | DREAMS APLENTY | G | 3 | John Zielke |
| 7 | 1×020 | FLYING FRED (NZ) | G | 3 | Evan & Jennifer J Rayner |
| 8 | 41492 | GREY STEYNE | G | 3 | Doug Duryea |
| 9 | 42310×6317 | LIPSTICK LOVER | F | 3 | Tony Gollan |
| 10 | 63 | NETTOYER | F | 3 | Wendy Roche |
| 11 | 131×11 | NICCANOVA | G | 3 | Steve Tregea |
| 12 | 63211419×4 | OAK DOOR | C | 3 | Robert Smerdon |
| 13 | 340x17x185 | OINK | G | 3 | Kelly Schweida |
| 14 | 3112×769 | REALING | G | 3 | Matthew Dunn |
| 15 | 1D33x5x361 | RHYMING | F | 3 | Steve Tregea |
| 16 | 1x2526x274 | RIVER RACER | F | 3 | Les Ross |
| 17 | x11443x206 | RUTHLESS AGENT (NZ) | G | 3 | Kurt Goldman |
| 18 | 314436×394 | SALSONIC | G | 3 | Jason Coyle |
| 19 | 22513×3180 | SAVVAN (NZ) | F | 3 | James Cummings |
| 20 | 6x65x11 | SNEAKY GLANCE | G | 3 | Toby Edmonds |
| 21 | x147x46622 | SYLPHEED | F | 3 | Toby Edmonds |
| 22 | 0x1157 | TOP OF THE RANGE (NZ) | G | 3 | Michael Moroney |
| 23 | x132715x07 | VOLPINO | G | 3 | Les Kelly |
