2018 Moreton Cup nominations: Lucky Hussler given top weight

The Group 2 $175,000 Moreton Cup (1200m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday has attracted nineteen nominations with dual Group 1 winner Lucky Hussler heading the list.

Lucky Hussler, above, heads up the nominations for the 2018 Moreton Cup at the Sunshine Coast. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

The Darren Weir trained Lucky Hussler will carry the 61kg top weight for the Moreton Cup which is run under set weights and penalties conditions with the winner being exempt from the ballot for the Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on June 9.

The Moreton Cup is being run at the Sunshine Coast for the first time in a revamped Queensland Winter Racing Carnival due to the on-going resurfacing of the Eagle Farm track.

Lucky Hussler is one of three Darren Weir trained sprinters among the nominations and is joined by Handsome Thief and Platinum Angel.

The two time Group 1 winner is yet to kick off his Winter Carnival campaign after being scratched from the Group 1 $700,000 Kirin Doomben 10,000 (1200m) and the Group 1 $700,000 Altus Traffic Kingsford-Smith Cup (1350m), both run at Doomben.

Lucky Hussler’s last race track appearance was a sixth in the $1m Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast in January, the race he won the previous year during the 2016 Magic Millions Carnival.

Lucky Hussler claimed his first Group 1 trophy during the 2015 Melbourne Autumn Carnival with a win in the Group 1 $400,000 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley and was back in the Group 1 winner’s stall during the 2015 Spring Carnival with a win in the Group 1 $400,000 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield.

Handsome Thief was a winner two starts back in the Listed $150,000 Midfield Group Wangoom Handicap (1200m) at Warrnambool on May 2 before running seventh in the Group 1 $1m Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 19 while platinum Angel is a last start winner of a 1440m Benchmark 78 Handicap at Caulfield on May 12.

Brisbane’s leading trainer Tony Gollan has two nominations for the Moreton Cup, last start winner I’m A Rippa and six year old Notonyourlife.

I’m A Rippa has worked his way up through the ranks and will head to the Sunshine Coast on the back of a win in the Group 3 $125,000 Flight Centre BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on May 19.

Nominations for the 2018 Moreton Cup (1200m)

#	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Ballot	Weight	Hcp Rating
1	5x6001056x	LUCKY HUSSLER	G	8	Darren Weir	1	61kg	112
2	22027×0780	AIDE MEMOIRE (NZ)	M	6	Kris Lees	2	58.5kg	103
3	0x21812x31	I’M A RIPPA	G	4	Tony Gollan	3	58kg	97
4	x700370x34	KURO (NZ)	G	6	John O’Shea	4	57kg	102
5	12234430×5	THE MONSTAR	G	7	Brett Cavanough	5	57kg	103
6	611x84241x	CALANDA	G	4	Peter & Paul Snowden	6	57kg	103
7	5909701217	IN HIS STRIDE	G	5	Rex Lipp	7	56.5kg	95
8	223x152x47	NOTONYOURLIFE	M	6	Tony Gollan	8	54.5kg	90
9	1×32721617	HANDSOME THIEF (IRE)	G	5	Darren Weir	9	56.5kg	97
10	10x0700x90	QUATRONIC	G	5	Matthew Dunn	10	56.5kg	92
11	5x0287x141	IRISH CONSTABULARY	G	9	John Symons & Sheila Laxon	11	56kg	95
12	254457×318	RINGO’S A ROCKSTAR	G	4	Norm Stephens	12	56kg	85
13	115x457x52	SIR DONALD	G	4	Greg Eurell	13	56kg	78
14	x21376x497	CHALK	G	4	Wendy Roche	14	56kg	68
15	x46332x581	SUPER SUAVE	G	4	Liam Birchley	15	56kg	74
16	15028x26x0	LEGLESS VEUVE (NZ)	M	4	Henry Dwyer	16	57kg	98
17	11128x230x	PEPPERANO	M	5	Liam Birchley	17	54kg	88
18	611316×138	BELFLYER	G	6	John Shelton	18	56kg	87
19	x31x285131	PLATINUM ANGEL	F	3	Darren Weir	19	53kg	76.5