Top Doomben Cup fancy Akzar has been tuned up for this Saturday’s assignment with a first class workout in the clockwise direction at trainer Darren Weir’s Warrnambool base this morning.
Akzar is tuned up for the Doomben Cup after winning the Warrnambool Cup. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Even though the Irish import has only raced in the anticlockwise direction for Weir, including seven wins in Victoria and South Australia, the seven year old has record a win and a second in Ireland in the clockwise direction at The Curragh and at Fairyhouse.
Leading Victorian jockey Brad Rawiller has ridden Akzar at three of his last four wins and will again have the mount in the Group 1 $500,000 Titan Energy Services Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben.
Rawiller was aboard in this morning’s workout and gave Weir a glowing report on Akzar handling the reverse way of going.
“Brad was happy with how he went, so I’m happy. Everything went well,” Weir told TVN.
“He’s really thrived, everything is good with him.”
Akzar will leave for Brisbane on Tuesday and is on the second line of Doomben Cup betting with Ladbrokes.com.au at $4.60 behind $3.80 co-favourites Leebaz and Streama following his six lengths runaway win in the Listed $200,000 Sungold Milk Warrnambool Cup (2350m) at Warrnambool on May 1.
The Team Hawkes trained Leebaz will kick off his Brisbane Winter Carnival campaign after winning three from his last four starts including a last start win in the Group 3 $150,000 Panthers Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) at Hawkesbury May 3.
While Streama showed her class with a dominant win in the Group 2 $358,000 Wimmers Soft Drinks A. D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) on a heavy Gold Coast track on May 3 beating Mr O’Ceirin who is a $8 Doomben Cup chance.
The Chris Waller trained Junoob is sandwiched in between Akzar and Mr O’Ceirin at $5 while his stablemate Moriarty is marked at $12
Junoob, who has won four from his last six starts, and Moriarty both have had one run in Queensland this campaign and finished fourth and fifth respectively in the A. D. Hollindale Stakes.
Weir, who is currently a comfortable leader in both the Victorian and Melbourne metropolitan trainer’s premierships, was forced to pay a late entry fee of $11,550 for the Doomben Cup after the stable overlooked the first acceptance fee for Akzar last week.
Caulfield trainer Ciaron Maher was also caught unawares and also had to pay the late entry fee to have his smart galloper Mr O’Ceirin reinstated into the Doomben Cup field.
