2024 Mooloolaba Cup Day Tips & Preview

Cuddles For Kimmy has gone up a nice price for a filly that found excuses last start at Eagle Farm. 

A daughter to Spirit Of Boom, the Geran-trained two-year-old was held up for a run approaching the 400m mark, forced to settle for fourth in the end after struggling for room from the inside gate. 

Her previous win on debut came in wet conditions at Doomben, which does bode well for her chances with plenty of rain earlier in the week. Hard fit now third-up and drawn well, Mark Du Plessis should have her in the right spot.  

Aerial Dancer returns to the Sunshine Coast where she’s found success in the past.  

Matthew Hoysted’s mare has won and placed at this venue in the past, and she should be racing with real confidence after finding her way back into the winner’s stall a fortnight ago at Eagle Farm in a BM68 contest. 

The daughter of Trapeze Artist overraced at a key stage and was a touch keen, but she still worked through her gears nicely to go clear by nearly 1.5 lengths.  

Sticking to the mile now with 3kg off at the weights, there’s no reason she can’t go on with the job. 

Tough to find fault with the form I Am Artie brings with him to the races.  

This talented five-year-old has missed the money only three times from 12 career starts, missing out narrowly on another win at Doomben a few weeks ago where he led them into the straight and just lacked the conditioning to go on with the job. 

He’s a bit of a horse for this course with four wins to his name on his home track, and if there is rain about, he should be suited by the soft conditions under foot. 

Rashford has the wide gate to overcome, but he should be rock-hard fit at this stage of his prep.  

The Munce-trained son of Tosen Stardom has spent time racing over the mile recently, running on late on both occasions to miss out on a place where he’s been beaten by just over a length. 

Those two runs should have topped him off nicely for this, and if there is some real rain about, he’ll lap up a truly wet track.  

The Tony Gollan-trained Transatlantic presents a compelling case second-up. 

Still lightly-raced for a four-year-old, the son of Snitzel returned with a solid effort first-up at Eagle Farm last month when his fitness gave way over his final few strides in a small field over 1200m. 

He’s much better suited out over further, while his unbeaten second-up record also speaks for itself.  

A wet track would test him, especially from an awkward alley, but on class alone, he should be winning if everything goes his way. 

This is a drop back in class for Naval Trader after tackling the Listed Tatt’s Cup last month at Eagle Farm. 

Matthew Hoysted’s gelding was far from disgraced finishing midfield, a solid effort given he was forced to shuffle forward and race a little more keen than Nikita Berriman probably would have liked. 

He was down to race a couple of weeks ago but was scratched, so he’s had a good gap between runs of just over four weeks now.  

Drawn a perfect gate and likely to get right back off the speed this time, he looks well-placed to atone for his most recent effort. 

Can’t Recall One rates one of the top chances for Stuart Kendrick on return. 

The three-year-old son of Reliable Man hasn’t done a stack of racing over the last six months, enjoying a brief yet unsuccessful Winter prep in Brisbane when he went unplaced in the Sires’ Produce and the Group 1 J.J. Atkins. 

Obviously, this is a nice drop back in grade off two decent trials leading in, while he’s also run some handy races first-up in the past.  

I doubt 1400m tests him off a break and he’s drawn to get a well-timed run off the speed from a perfect gate.  

Brookhaven just needs luck from the wide gate to be a serious chance here second-up for Chris Munce. 

A son to Spieth, this guy resumed in terrific order last start at Eagle Farm over 1400m, working to the line nicely where he was seen doing his best work over the final 100m to grab second behind Flying Trapeze. 

He’s a proven second-up commodity with some alright form to his name over the mile, including a win and a place. A likely improver, this looks the right race for him second-up with some decent wet-track form on his resume.  

Nettuno is a bit of a first-up specialist with an outstanding record here on the Sunshine Coast. 

Tony Gollan’s gelding has won three of his four starts at this track, the latest occurring back in July where he overcame a slow start to charge the line and win quite well in very trying conditions. 

The son of I Am Invincible went on to tackle a small field in the Group 3 Black Caviar at Caulfield to wrap up his winter, finishing within a length of the highly talented Recommendation. 

I’d prefer if he’d had a trial leading in, but drawn to get the gun run along the rail, he looks one of the top contenders. 

Happy to roll the dice on Bank Book here after shedding the maiden tag stylishly on the Gold Coast last start.  

He’ll find this tougher up in grade, but there was a lot to like about the way he charged clear by a whopping three lengths to make every post a winner. 

The punters backed him late and he should be a likely improver here on Saturday, especially with Jake Bayliss drawn ideally carrying only 53kg. 

Armed with a powerful turn of foot, look for him to roll forward again and maybe settle in behind the speed on this occasion.