Weekend Wrap-up - Doomben and Eagle Farm

 
PUNTERS lapped up the big double header at Doomben and Eagle Farm this weekend, as Apache Chase booked himself a spot in next year’s TAB Stradbroke with a dominant display in the Roku Gin Gateway.

The Eagle Farm card was a ripper for Eagle Farm domiciled trainers, who swept the five features on the day, with Desleigh Forster and the Steve O’Dea-Matt Hoysted combination landing doubles and Rob Heathcote snaring another Listed feature.

Expected to win given his official handicap rating was panels ahead of all his rivals, Apache Chase gave those who took the short odds no reason for concern as he asserted his authority in the straight to notch his seventh win at Eagle Farm.

It completed a race-to-race feature double for Forster and Jim Byrne after unbeaten filly Exo Lady made it three from three in the Canadian Club Calaway Gal for two-year-old fillies.

Forster suggests she is now likely to send Apache Chase to Magic Millions day in five weeks without another start.

Her options are the MM QTIS, or MM Cup – both are worth $1million.

Exo Lady is not paid up for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, but will head to the Gold Coast a week before MM day to round out her summer campaign.

Earlier, Palazzo Spirit booked his place in the MM 2YO Classic by taking out the Eureka Stud Phelan Ready for the colts and geldings.

The Steve O’Dea and Matt Hoysted trained colt is now two from two and jockey Baylee Nothdurft said there’s still a lot more to come for the son of Spirit Of Boom.

Punters latched onto Shooting For Gold in the Sky Racing Bribie, but it was stablemate Totally Charmed who triumphed, producing a brilliant burst under Ben Thompson to win his first stakes race.

Heathcote’s mare East Asia produced a stunning burst to win the Listed James Squire Just Now. Backing up from an eye-catching first up run a week earlier, East Asia had to overcome a chequered passage in the straight before Ronny Stewart arrived in the nick of time to nab Eloquently and Tycoon Evie right on the line.

A day earlier at Doomben, one of Brisbane’s longest serving trainers, Lawrie Mayfield-Smith, notched another feature success when Charmmebaby came from the back of the field to claim the Listed TAB Brisbane Handicap.

Ridden by Taylor Marshall, the daughter of Charm Spirit was coming off a last start win in the Taree Cup.

Racing returns to Eagle Farm this Saturday, for the running of the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes.

Photo provided by: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography