The Darren Weir trained Lucky Hussler heads up the final field for the 2018 Listed $175,000 City Of Ipswich Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich on Saturday.

Lucky Hussler, above, will carry the top weight in the 2018 Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

The dual Group1 winner looks nicely treated with only 61kg and will jump from barrier two with Dean Yendall in the saddle.

Lucky Hussler is a late starter for the 2018 Queensland Winter Racing Carnival because of a hoof problem, but the eight year won’t get an easier race to return to the winner’s stall in the Eye Liner Stakes field that has already been reduced to thirteen runners following the early scratching of Oink.

Under the quality conditions of the Eye Liner Stakes, Lucky Hussler, a two time Group 1 winner, only has to carry 61kg, only 2kg more than the Chris Waller trained Religify whose best results in a Group race was a second to Lucky Hussler in the Group 2 $200,000 Schweppes Crystal Mile (1600m) at The Valley during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival.

Weir was forced to scratch Lucky Hussler from both the Group 1 $700,000 Kirin Doomben 10,000 (1200m) and the Group 1 $700,000 Altus Traffic Kingsford-Smith Cup (1350m), both at Doomben, and then decided to bypass the Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) last Saturday to run in the Eye Liner Stakes.

The Chris Waller trained Religify will jump from barrier ten with Corey Brown to ride while the Tony Gollan trained I’m A Rippa, on the minimum with 54kg, looks the best of the locals and will jump from barrier six with Jim Byrne in the saddle.

Gollan said that he was very impressed with the way I’m A Rippa has improved this preparation and the Love Conquers All gelding is in top form with a win two starts back in the Group 3 $125,000 Flight Centre BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on May 19 followed by a second to Snippets Land in the Listed $100,000 Spear Chief Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on June 2.

“But he is really a preparation ahead of where I thought he would be,” Gollan told AAP.

“He has won a Group Three (The BRC Sprint) and been a terrific second in a Listed race (Spear Chief) this winter.”

Gollan will also saddle up Most Important who will jump from the outside gate with Mark Du Plessis to ride.

Most Important will appreciate the huge drop in grade after being tested at Group 1 over the Queensland Winter Racing Carnival and is coming off a last start eleventh to Santa Ana Lane in the Stradbroke Handicap.

The Gold Coast trained Tyzone will also fly the flag for the locals with Brisbane ‘s leading jockey Jeff Lloyd to ride from gate three.

The Toby Edmonds trained Tyzone has worked his way up through the grades and heads to the Eye Liner Stakes on a hat trick after wins in a 1200m BenchMark 85 Handicap at the Gold Coast on May 5 and in a 1200m BenchMark 95 Handicap at Doomben on May 26.

Final field for the 2018 Eye Liner Stakes