Tough staying mare Real Love will start the favourite for the Brisbane Cup after scoring another Winter Carnival win in the Group 3 $125,000 Channel Seven Premier’s Cup (2200m) at Doomben today.

Tough staying mare Real Love takes out the Premier’s Cup at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.

The Darren Weir trained Real Love ($2.80 favourite) was able to outstay stablemate Puccini ($13) after being given the run of the race by Brad Rawiller.

Kiwi stayer Benzini ($19) with Rosie Myers aboard ran on from back in the field to claim third spot.

Rawiller was able to settle Real Love in fourth position before attacking the leaders on the home turn and then the Desert King mare was able to gain the upper hand over the pacemaker, Puccini, to score her second Doomben win after taking out the Group 3 $125,000 JRA Cup (2000m) two weeks ago.

The former West Australian trained Real Love has maintained her good form over a long period of time and hasn’t had a break since running third in the Group 2 $500,000 Perth Cup (2400m) at Ascot on January 2.

“She has been a real handy addition to the stable,” stable representative Jarrod McLean said.

“She is in great order. She came to us on the back of an arduous Perth campaign and then we campaigned her for an Adelaide Cup where she unfortunately never ran the trip and then to was able to freshen up and come back here today to win two in Queensland, I think it is a real testimony with what we can do with horses down in Warrnambool by keeping them fresh.”

“She will run here in a fortnight’s time.”

If Real Love can maintain her current form she looks the one to beat in the Group 2 $300,000 Evergreen Turf Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm in two weeks.

Runner up Puccini looks likely to back up next week in the Group 2 $250,000 Eagle Farm Cup (2200m) at Eagle Farm.

“He backs up next Saturday,” McLean said.