The 2014 Eagle Farm Cup is set to be an intriguing tactical contest and Darley Media Manager Jason Walsh said that the racing operation will be giving jockey Kerrin McEvoy no firm instructions on how to ride Wistful in the Group 2 event at Eagle Farm this weekend.
Wistful has been well-backed to win the 2014 Eagle Farm Cup after finishing strongly in her past two starts over a mile. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Wistful has come from the middle of the field in all six of her starts during her autumn campaign, highlighted by second place finishes in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) and Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup (1615m), but the Tiger Hill mare was ridden on the pace when she won the TAB Rewards Trophy (1700m) at Flemington on November 5 and finished third in the Group 3 Summoned Stakes (1600m) during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival.
“You might remember back there in Flemington when she won she settled right on the speed, so she is quiet adaptable,” Walsh told Racing Ahead
“We don’t have any firm plans at this stage in terms of where she is positioned and Kerrin will just have her where she is comfortable.
“It is a small field and she might be able to settle that bit closer and be in the finish.”
Wistful will be stepping up to 2200 metres for the first time in her racing career in the Eagle Farm Cup after making good ground later in both the Hawkesbury Gold Cup on May 3 and the Lord Mayor’s Cup at Doomben last Saturday.
Walsh said that he is looking forward to seeing how Wistful performs over the staying trip and is confident that she can produced another strong performance in the Group 2 event this weekend.
“We were really pleased with her run there on Saturday in the Lord Mayor’s Cup,” Walsh said.
“It has been well documented that the track appeared to be playing towards the fence and towards the front and she had to come out to the middle of the track and she only just missed.
“We are giving her chance there tomorrow and she should run well.”
Walsh said that Wistful is likely to head to the spelling paddock after running in the Eagle Farm Cup and confirmed that the mare would continue her racing career during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival, rather than be retired to serve as a broodmare for Darley.
