The Listed $175,000 Lough Neagh Stakes (1350m) is the feature race on the nine event program at Doomben on Saturday and has a real interstate flavour.
Prominent Sydney trainer Gerald Ryan has ventured north with his smart mare Peace Force who has been installed the $4 favourite with Ladbrokes.
Peace Force is no stranger to Brisbane racing and was a winner over this track and distance during the Winter Carnival when she beat stablemate Solicit and Tukiyo in the Group 3 $150,000 Glenlogan Park Stakes (1350m).
The Bernardini mare resumed from a short freshen up for a gutsy third behind Mighty Lucky and It’s Somewhat in a blanket finish to the Listed $150,000 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill a fortnight ago.
Sydney jockey Tye Angland has also made the trip north to partner Peace Force who has drawn barrier ten in the eleven horse field.
Melbourne premiership winning trainer Peter Moody has also picked out the Lough Neagh Stakes for his sprinter Weinholt who is a winner of two of his last three starts.
Weinholt snuck home in a 1200m BenchMark 80 Handicap at Geelong three starts back then at his latest outing scored a two and a quarter lengths win in a 1200m Ballarat Handicap three weeks ago.
Weinholt, with Glen Boss to ride, is on the second line of betting at $4.20 ahead of the first of Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan’s four Lough Neagh Stakes runners, Fontelina at $5.50.
Fontelina chased home stablemate Didntcostalot when second in the Group 3 $200,000 George Moore Stakes (1200m) at Doomben two weeks ago and Jim Byrne rides again.
Gollan’s other runners are Gundy Spirit (Luke Tarrant), a firmer in from $12 to $9, top weight Temple Of Boom (Tegan Harrison) at $13 and Brave Ali (Allannah Fancourt), one of the outsiders of the field at $81.
The Robert Heathcote trained Saluter was back in the winner’s stall last start in a 1350m NMW-LY Handicap with 58kg and drops to 54kg for Michael Cahill in the Lough Neagh Stakes.
Saluter is stepping up in class and has drifted slightly in betting from $5.50 to $6, just ahead of the in-form Steel Zip at $7.50.
The Pat Duff trained grey scored a hat trick of wins when he took out the Listed $100,000 Keith Noud Handicap (1200m) at Doomben on November 14 with Jeff Lloyd keen to keep the winning momentum going.
Miss Cover Girl is marked at $12 and has had no luck at the barrier draws at her last two starts, her latest was a tiring ninth in the George Moore Stakes after jumping from outside gate in the ten horse field.
Saturday’s draw is not much better but at least she will have some horses on her outside when she jumps from barrier eight.