The Group 3 $150,000 The Queen’s Cup Trophy (3200m) at the Sunshine Coast on July 14 is next on the agenda for last Saturday’s Caloundra Cup winner Megablast.

Damian Browne, above, was aboard Megablast for his win in the 2018 Caloundra Cup at the Sunshine Coast. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Kiwi trainer Nigel Tiley did a great job is getting Megablast back to the track in winning at his first run for a month after recovering from a minor leg injury.

Punters also had faith in Tiley’s ability to produce the grey in top class order and Megablast was sent out as the $3.60 second favourite for the Listed $175,000 Scott McMahon Electrical Caloundra Cup (2400m) at the Sunshine Coast.

A superb on pace ride from Damian Browne saw Megablast travelling sweetly in second place on the heels of the leader Smart As You Think until the 600m mark when the grey started to make his move forward.

Brown let Megablast stride up outside the leader on the home turn and the Kiwi stayer put pay to his opposition quickly and went on to record a three lengths win over First Crush ($10) with the $2.70 favourite Tradesman battling away in third spot.

Tiley said that Megablast has come through the Caloundra Cup in fine style and will now go onto The Queen’s Cup Trophy over the two miles.

“He came through the race well so we are going to bring him back here for the two-mile race in a fortnight,” Tiley told NZ Racing Desk.

“We know he gets the two miles and I expect he will carry around the same weight to what he won with on the weekend.

“If we can get similar track conditions he would have to be a big show of a repeat performance.”

Megablast was suited by the heavy track conditions for the Caloundra Cup and has now won all of his ten races on rain affected surfaces and there is a good chance that the Sunshine Coast track will be wet again with showers forecast in the lead up to the July 14 weekend.

“He is at his best when the tracks are wet and loose and that rain we got was just perfect for him,” Tiley said.

“I was pretty confident I had him near peak after his setback so all we needed was some luck during the running and he was going to be a big chance.”

Tiley is also confident that Megablast will have no trouble running out a strong 3200m after finishing fourth at his only attempt at the distance in the 2017 Group 1 NZ$500,000 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie in New Zealand.

Sunshine Coast based Kiwi jockey Damian Browne has been aboard Megablast for his two Queensland starts, a third in the Group 2 $200,000 Bradford Access Insulation P.J. O’Shea Stakes (2200m) at the Sunshine Coast on June 2 and his win in the Caloundra Cup, but could be in doubt for The Queen’s Cup Trophy as he is appealing a two month suspension that the QRIC Stewards handed to him for his ride on Toowoomba gelding Fighting Teo at the Sunshine Coast on June 11.

2018 Caloundra Cup Results