The Sunshine Coast Turf Club will play host to Queensland’s major metropolitan meeting this Saturday, August 10th.
A wet day is expected with rain forecast from Thursday right through the weekend, but there’s no shortage of value on offer with Noosa Cup Day just over a week away.
Our thoughts for each race on the program can be found below.
Dream Smart on top in a very open maiden race between the three-year-olds.
This filly by Smart Missile loomed the winner second-up at Eagle Farm early last month, hitting the front out of the turn and grinding her way to just miss out on a place when the challenge came late.
She’s been given a healthy four-week gap between runs, but does look suited here with rain about after facing wet tracks during her five starts so far.
If she can be saved for late from the inside gate, she’ll be hard to hold out back to 1000m.
Good little race here with a few smart three-year-olds on display.
Mister Bianco won like a good thing a fortnight ago at Ipswich, rounding the home turn on the widest part of the track before leting rip with a strong turn of foot to find the front at the 100m mark.
To my eye, he had a bit left to give through the line, while I like the fact he handled the Soft 7 at Eagle Farm the run prior for second behind Data Scramble.
Michael Rodd was responsible for the ride that day, and if they find a nice cozy spot around midfield, they’ll be strong late.
Don’t mind this at all for Tappy’s Lad deep into his prep.
The son of Proisir hasn’t featured in the winner’s circle in well over a year, but I thought he was strong to the line for third at Doomben last week where he was unlucky not to finish runner-up along the rail.
He’s drawn to get another gun run close to the fence and the decision to go around on the quick back up is worth noting.
In well with the claim and goes well on a heavy track, so if it’s plenty wet come Saturday, he could come into calculations.
Tattle strikes a winnable race second-up for Matthew Currie.
The daughter of Spill The Beans was held up briefly and threw her head around a little coming down the straight at Eagle Farm first-up, eventually shifting back to the fence where she ran on to finish midfield, beaten just over three lengths by Battlefield.
That form has held up nicely since and she should handle the rise to 1300m in her stride after winning over the same trip at Toowoomba last time in work.
Fitter now with a place to her name second-up, she’s capable of featuring in the money this time carrying only 52.5kg.
Happy to stick with Zaphod third-up, particularly if he gets conditions to suit.
I was with him a few weeks earlier when he competed at Eagle Farm over the same distance, a race that saw him beaten four lengths after finding the line only fairly from a wide position.
Back on a rain-soaked track will be more to his liking, especially with his two wins coming in heavy conditions.
The gate makes this a tricky ask for Andrew Mallyon, but if he can cross and lead early, it’s hard to see many making up ground.
Flying Trapeze probably wins if he produces the same turn of foot that saw him go half a length clear at Doomben a fortnight ago.
Bit of a query on a truly wet track for mine, but there’s no question he’ll see out 1400m after bolting in carrying a similar weight in just his third run back from a spell.
Still has scope for improvement with Celine Graham taking over and I think we’ll see the pair settle nicely just off the speed.
Very big field on offer, but still looks a winnable race for Ready Azz Eva third-up from a spell.
Rob Heathcote’s son of Better Than Ready let down nicely to give good chase at Doomben two weeks ago, a race he was unlucky not to win when denied only narrowly by the in-form The Inflictor.
Like others, a genuinely wet track might test him from a sticky gate, but in an open race full of chances, he’ll do me.
Really hard to go past Termagant here with three wins to her name from four starts.
This mare by Deep Field is a genuine wet tracker, as we saw here on the 14th of July when she loomed up around the 200m mark and just went bang to let down and win right on the line.
Matthew Hoysted’s four-year-old looked very sharp in a recent trial at Doomben and I very much doubt she’ll find this race much tougher than the ones she contested last month.
If she gets another patient steer in behind the speed under the in-form Ryan Maloney, look out.
Liquor is probably the one to beat on wet track form.
Tony Gollan’s mare has been all class during her brief 12-start career, claiming her sixth win off a let-up at Doomben last month where she went forward and made it look easy in the end, winning by over a length in the end.
It’s interesting she’s been given close to a month between runs, but after quickening smartly over the final 100m, I don’t think she’ll find this tough at all dropping back in trip.
With three of her wins coming in the wet and Angela Jones retaining the ride, she ticks most of the boxes.
Sticking with Cranky Harry on top in his return to Queensland.
Matthew Dunn’s five-year-old ventured to Sydney briefly and walked away with the chocolates, prevailing by a whopping three-length win at Randwick over the mile with a bit of give in the track.
Two wins from his last three starts makes for very easy reading and he typically runs a nice race with a gap between runs.
The top weight is the only query, but he maps to be the likely leader here in a race that doesn’t feature a great deal of early speed.