Victoria’s premiership winning trainer Darren Weir has dominated the nominations for the Group 2 $200,000 Australia Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on Friday night with six of the sixteen entries.

Brave Smash, above, is one of six Darren Weir trained horses among the 2019 Australia Stakes nominations at The Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Brave Smash, above, is one of six Darren Weir trained horses among the 2019 Australia Stakes nominations at The Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Group 1 winners Brave Smash, Land Of Plenty and Voodoo Lad head the Weir team along with Chauffeur, Fifty Stars and Whispering Brook adding to the attack.

Two times Group 1 winner Brave Smash will be having his first run back since finishing eighth to Santa Ana Lane in Group 1 $1m VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 10.

At his previous start Brave Smash scored his second win at Group 1 level in the $1m Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes over the same course and distance as the Australia Stakes.

Voodoo Lad has returned from a successful trip to Perth for the Summer Carnival where he took out the Group 1 $1m Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot on December 1 while Land Of Plenty will be having his first run back since finishing fourth to Best Of Days in the Group 1 $1m Kennedy Mile (1600m) at Flemington on November 3.

Land Of Plenty proved his Group 1 standings at his previous start with a resounding win in the $500,000 Aquis Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on October 13.

Group 1 winners Malaguerra and Redkirk Warrior are also included in the nominations for the Australia Stakes.

The Peter Gelagotis trained Melaguerra is also returning from the Perth Summer Carnival following his third to Voodoo Lad in the Winterbottom Stakes while the Lindsay Park trained dual Newmarket Handicap winner Redkirk Warrior hasn’t raced since finishing tenth in the VRC Sprint Classic.

Nominations for the 2019 Australia Stakes (1200m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 70x332818x BRAVE SMASH (JPN) H 6 Darren Weir 114
2 667x00x6x1 CHAUFFEUR H 4 Darren Weir 92
3 80x598x513 FELL SWOOP G 7 Matthew Dale
4 1111x2211x FIFTY STARS (IRE) H 4 Darren Weir 98
5 311x21314x LAND OF PLENTY H 5 Darren Weir 110
6 670x730x03 MALAGUERRA G 7 Peter Gelagotis 111
7 21x361221x MANUEL G 5 Tony McEvoy 95
8 111×018823 MAZUREK M 6 Chris Bieg 86
9 7820×37094 MISSROCK M 5 Robbie Laing 100
10 x681001021 PRINCESS OF QUEENS M 5 Mick Price 95
11 1x414141x7 PRINCETON SPIRIT (NZ) G 5 Julius Sandhu 88
12 0x11x00x0x REDKIRK WARRIOR (GB) G 8 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
13 818×511303 RUNSON G 6 Leon & Troy Corstens 98
14 511x77027x VASSILATOR (NZ) C 3 Colin Little 98
15 x001212481 VOODOO LAD G 7 Darren Weir
16 60x1415x11 WHISPERING BROOK M 5 Darren Weir 107

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.