High Aims to wait for the 2400m Caloundra Cup

Mornington trainer David Brideoake has elected to wait and run High Aims in the Listed $175,000 Caloundra Cup (2400m) at the Sunshine Coast on June 28 and miss this week’s Tattersall’s Cup at Eagle Farm.

High Aims will miss this week's Tattersall's Cup and wait for the Caloundra Cup.

High Aims will miss this week's Tattersall's Cup and wait for the Caloundra Cup. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

High Aims was amongst the seventeen nominations for the Group 3 $200,000 Carlton Draught Tattersall’s Cup (2200m) but Brideoake feels that the Southern Image four year old will be better suited over the 2400m at the Sunshine Coast.

And Brideoake, who trains in partnership with David Feek, also thinks there is a better chance of getting a wet track which would also suit the staying mare.

“She’s a mare who can run 2400 metres, but she needs a wet track to show her best, and we figured our best chance of getting a wet track might be at Caloundra,” Brideoake told Racing Network.

“She can really run a strong 2400 metres but she’s a known wet-tracker, so that’s why we bought her up here because we figured we might get some wet ground.”

At her third back this campaign High Aims finished ninth to Brave Ali in the Listed $175,000 Channel 7 Ipswich Cup (2150m) at Ipswich last Saturday and Brideoake was more than pleased with the effort.

“I thought she ran well last week and wasn’t that far away,” Brideoake said.

“If it had been a bit wetter she’d have been right in the finish.”

High Aims won over 2400m on a slow track at Sandown last preparation and is ready to tackle the ‘mile and a half’ of the Caloundra Cup.

Mr O’Ceirin is another who is likely to miss the Tattersall’s Cup and be kept for the Caloundra Cup the following week.

The Ciaron Maher trained stayer has been in the runner’s up stall twice from four Winter Carnival runs.

The six year old made up some ground when second to Streama in the Group 2 $358,000 Wimmers Soft Drinks A. D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast on May 3 then two starts later was second to Moriarty in the Group 2 $250,000 Merlo Coffee Eagle Farm Cup (2200m) at Eagle Farm on May 31.

Then at his latest start Mr O’Ceirin raced on the pace before fading to finish fifth to Floria in the Group 2 $300,000 Croser Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 7.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.