Maurus draws outside barrier in Ipswich Cup

Favourite Maurus has drawn the outside barrier in Listed $175,000 Channel 7 Ipswich Cup (2150m) at Ipswich on Saturday.

Maurus has drawn the outside barrier in the Ipswich Cup at Ipswich. Photo by Steve Hart.

Maurus has drawn the outside barrier in the Ipswich Cup at Ipswich. Photo by Steve Hart.

Eleven horses accepted for the Ipswich Cup and the David Vandyke trained Maurus will need some early luck from the extreme outside barrier in the run to the first turn out of the straight.

Damian Browne takes the ride on the five year old.

Maurus signalled the arrival of Vandyke to the Queensland training ranks when he scored a three and half lengths win in a 2200m Doomben Handicap on April 30 before finishing fifth, beaten less than two lengths, to Our Ivanhowe in the Group 1 $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on May 21.

Vandyke decided to transfer his training operation from Warwick Farm in Sydney to the Sunshine Coast and he had an immediate impact with Maurus’ victory at Doomben along with three year old filly Look To The Stars winning the Listed $100,000 Lion Dairy and Drinks Princess Stakes (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast on April 23.

Ipswich Cup topweight Puccini also drew wide at nine and is backing up week to week after running eighth to Benzini in the Group 2 $300,000 Evergreen Turf Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm last Saturday.

The Darren Weir trained five year old will be ridden by Irish jockey John Allen who takes over the reins from Kerrin McEvoy.

Bobby El-Issa replaces Luke Dittman on Worthy Cause who drew barrier seven in the eleven horse field.

The John Zielke trained four year old is also backing up in a week and is stepping up in distance after running fifth to Hopfgarten in the Listed $100,000 RadioTAB The Wayne Wilson Plate (1600m) at Eagle Farm last Saturday.

The Peter Robl trained Iggi Pop, who drew the inside barrier, will also be having his second run in a week in the Ipswich Cup after finishing ninth in the Brisbane Cup.

Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller has been left with one Ipswich Cup runner, Dance Of Heroes, after he elected to run Beyond Thankful at Rosehill on Saturday in the Kensei Handicap (2000m).

Dance Of Heroes, who is also accepted in the Kensei Handicap at Rosehill, drew barrier two in the Ipswich Cup with Jeff Lloyd to ride the English import who was a winner two starts back in a 2000m BenchMark 89 Handicap at Rosehill followed by a fifth in a BenchMark 84 Handicap at Randwick on May 28.

Ipswich Cup field: 1 Puccini (9), 2 Maurus (11), 3 Worthy Cause (7), 4 Iggi Pop (1), 5 Jumbo Prince (4), 6 Instrumentalist (5), 7 Dance Of Heroes (2), 8 Adirondack (10), 9 Nissile (8), 10 Kurrajong Dragon (3), 11 Meru (6).

Ipswich Cup market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.70 Maurus, $5.50 Puccini, Dance Of Heroes, $6.50 Worthy Cause, $7.50 Jumbo Prince, $8.50 Iggi Pop, $13 Adirondack, $26 Instrumentalist, $51 Meru, $67 Nissile, $81 Kurrajong Dragon.

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.