Chris Waller has his eyes on Brisbane’s Group 1 Cup prize with in-form European import My Kingdom Of Fife after the horse discarded by the Queen scored an impressive elite level win on the closing Sydney Carnival meeting on Saturday.
My Kingdom Of Fife could be heading to Brisbane for the 2011 Doomben Cup
Rosehill based trainer Waller has named the $500,000 Group 1 Doomben Cup (2020m) on May 21 during the Brisbane Winter Carnival as a possible assignment for My Kingdom Of Fife.
After winning the Group 3 Doncaster Mile Prelude (1600m) at their Australian debut on April 9, My Kingdom Of Fife handled the heavy track conditions at Randwick with ease on Saturday scoring a tidy three-quarter length win over Doncaster Mile winner Sacred Choice in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
The success of many of Waller’s imported stayers including My Kingdom Of Fife has Waller leading the Sydney trainers’ premiership this season.
Waller purchased My Kingdom Of Fife in a private sale for part owner Richard Pegum from the Queen’s stable, originally seeing the gelding as a Listed race winner at best.
“He was bought to win the Wagga Wagga Cup, but I doubt he goes to Wagga now,” Waller said.
The $140,000 Listed Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) is set to run on Friday May 6, but looks an unlikely aim for My Kingdom Of Fife who is now unbeaten in Australia and a winner at the highest-level here.
“The Hollindale and the Doomben Cup are more likely,” Waller said.
“He is a happy horse, there is something about our stable which is making him happy.
“He’s found the key to life again.”
The Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) is a weight-for-age feature set to run at the Gold Coast on May 7 providing a nice lead-up race for the Doomben Cup.
Waller is confident My Kingdom Of Fife is a good shot at the Doomben Cup and he would know having won last year’s Doomben Cup with Metal Bender.
The trainer saw what he needed from Kingmambo six-year-old My Kingdom Of Fife on Sydney Cup Day to aim for back-to-back wins in the feature.
“He would certainly be hard to beat in a Doomben Cup,” Waller said.
Waller still chose to nominate My Kingdom Of Fife along with three other stablemates in Friday week’s Wagga Gold Cup.
Queen’s Cup runner-up Beijing Boy, Dansili four-year-old Foreteller and Flying Spur mare Vintedge coming off a third to Hawk Island in the JRA Plate are the other runners entered for the Wagga Cup from Waller’s stables.
“My Kingdom Of Fife and Vintedge would be the most likely two,” Waller’s racing manager Liam Prior said on Tuesday.
“It will all depend on the weights.”
The inclusion of My Kingdom Of Fife in the Wagga Gold Cup field, although unlikely, would be a massive boost to the two-day Wagga Cup Carnival.
“If he (My Kingdom Of Fife) doesn’t get too much weight then he’ll be a chance of going,” Prior said.
“But if he does then he’ll stay at home.
“Originally Wagga was the plan but he’s now come out and won a Group One.
“So the Doomben Cup is now a good race for him but whether we go to the Hollindale on our way there or the Wagga Cup will depend on the weights.”
