The 2014 BTC Cup field and barrier draw has been released; with five Group 1 winners set to contest the $400,000 event at Doomben on Saturday.
Spirit Of Boom is one of five Group 1 winners that have been included in the field for the 2014 BTC Cup. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Headlining the BTC Cup field is champion Queensland sprinter Buffering, who has drawn ideally in barrier three for the Group 1 event.
Buffering finally broke through for a maiden win at Group 1 level during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival when he won the Manikato Stakes (1200m) before finishing his campaign with wins in the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) and Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes, but has so far been denied a victory at the highest level of racing in his home state.
The Mossman gelding will be having his third start in the BTC Cup after finishing third behind Black Caviar and Hay List in 2011 and fourth in last year’s race behind Your Song after slipping at the start on a heavy track.
Queensland trainers did not take out a single Group 1 event during the 2013 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, but they have a strong hand in the 2014 BTC Cup; with leading trainer Tony Gollan represented by both Spirit Of Boom and Temple Of Boom.
Temple Of Boom (barrier one) returned to winning form for the first time in over two years when he upset his half-brother Spirit Of Boom and Snitzerland to win the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on April 26, while Spirit Of Boom (barrier seven) is in the best form his career after finishing second in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) and Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) before winning the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) during the 2014 Melbourne Festival Of Racing.
Snitzerland will also be backing up from the Victory Stakes, but could be scratched from the Group 1 event if the forecast rain hits Brisbane this weekend after she failed to fire on a wet track in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m).
Rounding out the Group 1 winners in the 2014 BTC Cup field is Tiger Tees and, unlike Snitzerland’s trainer Gerald Ryan, his trainer Joseph Pride is desperate for some wet weather in Brisbane this weekend.
Tiger Tees (barrier two) started his autumn preparation with a narrow win over Adebisi in the Listed Falvelon Quality (1200m) at Eagle Farm on February 22 and produced a string of impressive performances during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival; winning the Group 1 The Galaxy (1200m) before finishing fourth in the T.J. Smith and third in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m).
Hot Snitzel is yet to record a Group 1 win, but is taking hot form into the BTC Cup this weekend and trainer Gerald Ryan believes that the Snitzel gelding is capable of scoring an upset in the Group 1 event this weekend.
The five-year-old started his autumn campaign with a narrow second behind Flamberge in the Group 3 Sebring Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on April 5 and was most impressive in the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 26.
Rounding out the 2014 BTC Cup field are Noel Mayfield Smith-trained Famous Seamus (barrier four) and talented mare Peron (barrier five).
