Godolphin’s last-start winner at Scone, Viridine, is the easy favourite for Saturday’s opening Group race at Doomben heading the small 10-starter Moreton Cup 2019 field.
Due to run as the fourth race on a bumper nine-event Queensland Oaks Day card, this season’s Group 2 $200,000 Moreton Cup (1200m) is all about the James Cummings-trained Viridine who drew midfield in gate five.
Viridine is clear favourite in 2019 Moreton Cup betting on Oaks Day at Doomben.
The four-year-old Poet’s Voice gelding dominates Moreton Cup betting at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $2.50 in the current markets to win his Doomben debut on the back of a win in the Listed Ortensia Stakes (1100m) on May 11.
With sprint form around some nice types in Sydney over the autumn, Viridine drops a half-kilo to 58kg on Saturday in the set weights plus penalties clash and has hoop Tim Clark aboard for the first time since the 10th to Nature Strip on a Heavy (8) Rosehill track in March’s Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m).
The Moreton Cup is always an intriguing race as it offers the winner a last chance spot in Saturday week’s Group 1 $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm.
There are three other hopefuls under $10 in the latest Moreton Cup odds including the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained second pick, Brave Song ($3.60), drawn wide in gate nine.
James McDonald rides the in-form Your Song four-year-old who comes off successive seconds leading-up to Saturday.
Two back he was only a quarter-length off Trekking in the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Randwick, the form of which was franked last weekend with the winner finishing third behind The Bostonian in the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm.
His latest run was also at Scone on May 11 when beaten again by Trekking in the Listed Luskin Star (1300m) carrying 1.5kg more than his 56kg allocation for the weekend.
Occupying the third line of Moreton Cup betting at $4 is then Winter Bride, Blake Shinn’s mount in barrier seven.
Toby Edmonds-trained on the Gold Coast, four-year-old Not A Single doubt mare Winter Bride is the Doomben track specialist in the race boasting three wins and a second from four previous starts at the course.
She is also no stranger to interstate Black-Type success including her March 9 Randwick win this prep in the Group 3 Wenona Girl Handicap (1200m) carrying 58kg before her Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) third at the same track.
Winter Bride looks very well-weighted with 55.5kg in the Moreton Cup and is out to improve on her fourth behind I Am Excited at Eagle Farm last time out in late April when three lengths off in the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m).
David Pfieffer’s Victory Stakes winner I Am Excited is also in the Moreton Cup mix in 2019 as a $7 shot on the quick back-up following the four-year-old daughter of Snitzel’s unplaced 12th in last weekend’s Kingsford-Smith Cup results.
For all the complete Moreton Cup 2019 field, barriers, form and Brisbane racing odds for the Stradbroke Handicap lead-up visit Ladbrokes.com.au now.
