Premiership winning jockey Jeff Lloyd is tipping backers of last Saturday’s beaten Eye Liner Stakes favourite Acatour to stick with him when he heads to the Group 3 $125,000 XXXX Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast on July 1.
Beaten Eye Liner Stakes favourite Acatour, above, will head to the Sunshine Coast Guineas. Photo by Steve Hart.
Acatour was sent out as the $6.50 favourite for the Listed $175,000 City Of Ipswich Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich but could only manage fifth placing behind $17 chance Monsieur Gustave after having no luck in the straight.
Lloyd had settled Acatour near the tail of the field from barrier nine in the sixteen horse Eye Liner Stakes field and just as the three year old was gaining momentum in the straight, his run was hampered when the winner moved in and halted his progress.
The Sebring colt quickly regathered his balance to dash to the line and only get beaten just less than a length.
“Unlucky. I’ve got beaten about a length and a half. The winner has just chopped me off,” Lloyd said.
“Without that, I think he probably gets beaten about a neck. The big track at Caloundra is going to suit him.”
Acatour was the only three year old to run in the Eye Liner Stakes and dropping back to his own age group as well as stepping up to 1600m on the bigger track at the Sunshine Coast will be in his favour.
The Team Snowden trained Acatour is the winner of four of his eleven starts and did show his liking for the 1600m with a win in the Group 3 $200,000 Chine Horse Club Carbine Club Stakes at Randwick on April 1.
Eye Liner Stakes winner Monsieur Gustave will also head to the Sunshine Coast in a fortnight to run in the Listed $175,000 HMR Projects Glasshouse Handicap (1400m).
