Mongolian Wolf has to pass final test to boost Queensland Derby Chances

Trainer Darren Weir will give Mongolian Wolf one final test to boost his chances in Saturday’s Group 1 $600,000 Channel Seven Queensland Derby (2200m) at Doomben.

Mongolian Wolf, above, will gallop at Colleraine before heading to Brisbane for the Queensland Derby at Doomben. Photo by Steve Hart.

Mongolian Wolf, above, will gallop at Colleraine before heading to Brisbane for the Queensland Derby at Doomben. Photo by Steve Hart.

Mongolian Wolf put in a well below par performance last start when beaten over fourteen lengths in finishing eleventh in a 2000m 3yo Handicap at Caulfield on May 13 after winning the Group 3 $150,000 Mostyn Copper Group Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick on April 15 at his first run for the Weir stable.

“He went terrible,” Weir told AAP.

“It was possibly the wrong way to ride him.

“We probably should have let him be out the back, lob along and let him run home, but we took up a position thinking we could win the race and it didn’t work out.”

Weir said that Mongolian Wolf has come through his last run okay and he will give the former New Zealand trained three year old one more chance to redeem his chances when he gallops at Colleraine on Tuesday morning before heading to Queensland.

“Mongolian seems to have worked well,” Weir said.

“He would have to work well on Tuesday but at this stage we are going to take him.”

The three year old gelding was the winner of three races in New Zealand when prepared by Cambridge trainer Murray Baker before being transferred to Weir.

Mongolian Wolf is marked at $9 in the betting for the Queensland Derby at Ladbrokes.com.au and is one of three runners Weir will have in the classic for the three year olds.

Weir will also saddle up $5 second favourite Volatile Mix and $15 chance Rockstar Rebel.

Volatile Mix was the winner of the Group 1 $600,000 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on May 13 two starts back and Weir said that the Pentire three year old wasn’t comfortable racing in the clockwise direction for the first time when second to Order Again in the Group 3 $150,000 Mullins Lawyers Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) at Eagle Farm on May 27.

“If he had handled the corner a bit better last time he would have won,” Weir said.

“The negative with him is it’s not at Eagle Farm and it’s back to 2200 metres.”

Rockstar Rebel is on the improve and will go into the Queensland Derby on the back of a win in a 2200m BenchMark 70 Handicap at Ballarat on May 24.

The Queensland Derby will be run at Doomben this year at the shorter distance of 2200m instead of the traditional 2400m after the meeting was transferred away from Eagle Farm because of the substandard way the track played on Kingsford-Smith Cup Race Day.

Early market order for the Queensland Derby at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.80 Order Again, $5 Volatile Mix, $6 Ruthven, Shocking Luck, $9 Mongolian Wolf, $11 Black On Gold, $15 Rockstar Rebel, Violate, $17 Here He Comes, Monasterio, Sizzling Bullet, $21 Fontein Lad, Mandalay Bay, Wu Gok, $34 Top Of The Range, $41 Garbhan, Royal Receiver, Shine Tak Star, $67 Dazzle Em Sid, Shadow Vision, $101 Hundred, The Barracuda, $201 Sidetrip, Wake Up Victa.

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.