Trainer Chris Waller will decide before final acceptance time on Wednesday whether Youngstar will wear blinkers in the Group 1 $500,000 Treasury Brisbane Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Trainer Chris Waller, above, will have multiple runners in the 2018 Queensland Oaks at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Big race jockey Kerrin McEvoy rode Youngstar to victory in the Group 2 $175,000 Magic Millions The Roses (2000m) at Doomben on May 12 and suggested to Waller that the addition of blinkers could see the High Chaparral filly show further improvement.
Waller has called on McEvoy to partner Youngstar in a morning gallop this week with the blinkers on and the pair will then decide if the filly wears the hood in the Queensland Oaks.
“Kerrin (McEvoy) thought there was a little bit more there (after winning the Roses on her),” Waller said
“We put them on in the gallop (on Saturday) but the feedback I got was that she was a bit keen in them. Kerrin is going to go up and ride her and we will make a final decision then.”
Youngstar scored a hat trick of wins when she beat her stablemate Another Dollar in The Roses and has been installed as the $2.70 Queensland Oaks favourite in pre-post betting at Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of Another Dollar at $4.60.
Youngstar had the better of her stablemate Another Dollar by a length on the line but Waller said that the second placed filly had been hampered by wide barriers in her recent outings which also includes The Roses.
Another Dollar jumped from barrier twelve in The Roses while Youngstar came out of gate four in the sixteen horse field and Waller said with a good barrier and better luck the second placed filly could have reversed the finishing order and the two fillies will clash again in the Queensland Oaks.
“She’s (Another Dollar) had no luck at all,” Waller told The Courier-Mail.
“Barrier draws have cruelled her. If she can get a gate, she will be in the race for sure.
“Youngstar has won three in a row and winning with a bit of arrogance.
“To go from a provincial winner to Group 2 winner in one start takes a lot of talent, so I’d have a slight leaning to Youngstar, providing they both draw next to each other, but Another Dollar will keep her honest.”
Waller will have multiple runners in the 2018 Queensland Oaks with eight fillies among the twenty-one first acceptors and Youngstar and Another Dollar could be joined by Savacool, Impulsive, Miss Shanti, Saint Katarina, Via Veneto and Twilighter when the final field is released on Wednesday.
“I will talk with the staff and decide exactly how many runners I will have by Tuesday,” Waller said.
Early betting for the 2018 Queensland Oaks at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.70 Youngstar, $4.60 Another Dollar, $7 Aloisia, $8.50 Savacool, $11 Coral Coast, Sheezdashing, $13 Terra Sancta, $15 Play That Song, $17 Tinkermosa, $21 Highway, $34 Miss Shanti, Twilighter, $51 She’s Reliable, $61 Impulsive, Saint Katarina, $81 Protest, $101 Via Veneto, $251 Delaney’s Desire, She Salutes.
