Beaten Up Could Surprise In 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Beaten Up has flown under the radar heading into the 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but trainer Chris Waller believes that the veteran gelding is capable of running a big race in the Group 1 event at Royal Randwick this weekend.

Beaten Up has the chance to return to winning form in the 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Beaten Up has the chance to return to winning form in the 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Beaten Up returned to racing after a lengthy injury lay-off in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on January 31 and he performed fairly in both the Group 1 Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 14 and the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on February 28 before he returned to a semblance of his best form with a fifth place finish in the Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 14 and the Group 1 The BMW (2400m) at the same venue on March 28.

Waller told Racing Ahead that he was very pleased with the performance of Beaten Up in The BMW and he believes that the Beat Hollow gelding could prove tough to run down if there is not a great deal of early speed in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

“It was a much better effort,” Waller said.

“He is obviously very fit and I guess he is going to be one of the horses that is going to be up the front, he certainly wouldn’t lead and he needs to get cover and settle, but he will he up in the first three or four.

“He has a good strong finish and if they do go a bit slow he could be hard to peg back.”

Beaten Up will be joined in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes field by stablemate Royal Descent, who will be contesting the race for the second year in a row after finishing fourth behind It’s A Dundeel last year.

Royal Descent hit the line strongly to finish third in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Monday after being caught wide throughout and Waller is concerned that the consistent mare will once again have little luck in running.

“I think that is what cost her winning a Doncaster not only this year, but last year – she was four wide last year and this year was the same,” Waller said.

“It makes it hard, but she has a good jockey who knows the horse well after riding her on Monday.

“She just needs a bit of luck and it is a tough task asking her to back up five days after a really tough run in a Doncaster.”

Royal Descent is currently available at 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes odds of $17, while Beaten Up is priced at $31 to record a second win at Group 1 level.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.