Worthy Cause needs a change of luck in Ipswich Cup

Sunshine Coast trainer John Zielke is hoping a change of jockey will bring a change of luck for Worthy Cause when he contests the Listed $175,000 Channel 7 Ipswich Cup (2150m) at Ipswich on Saturday.

Worthy Cause, above, will be ridden by Bobby El-Issa in the Ipswich Cup at Ipswich. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Worthy Cause, above, will be ridden by Bobby El-Issa in the Ipswich Cup at Ipswich. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Senior jockey Bobby El-Issa will replace regular rider Luke Dittman who has been aboard Worthy Cause for ten of his last twelve starts, including his last four starts during the Queensland Winter Racing Carnival.

Zielke said that Worthy Cause has been unlucky in his recent runs, especially last Saturday when fifth to Hopfgarten in the Listed $100,000 RadioTABThe Wayne Wilson Plate (1600m) at Eagle Farm and is hoping the booking of El-Issa will turn his luck around.

“He just hasn’t been able to win,” Zielke told AAP.

“Things have gone wrong and they happened again last Saturday when he was fifth in the Wayne Wilson Handicap.

“A lot of people have said he probably should have won. It has been the story of the entire campaign.”

“Luke has had no luck on Worthy Cause and it might be a case of change of rider and change of luck.”

Worthy Cause will be stepping up to a middle distance for the first time this prepartion and Zileke has no worries that he is ready to run the journey.

“One thing I don’t expect Worthy Cause to have any trouble with is the 2150 metres around Ipswich,” Zielke said.

Worthy Cause’s only other attempts beyond 2000m were at Doomben during the 2015 Brisbane Winter Carnival for a seventh to Upham in the Group 3 $150,000 Mullins Lawyers Grand Prix Stakes over 2020m and a fifth to Magicool in the Group 1 $600,000 Channel 7 Queensland Derby over 2200m.

The Choisir four year old wasn’t in the original nominations for the Ipswich Cup but when the Ipswich Turf Club called for extra noms after only ten horses were entered on Monday, Zielke decide to give Worthy Cause one more run before sending him for a short break prior to commencing a Spring Carnival preparation.

“When I saw there were only 10 original nominations I said to the owners we might as well push on for a start,” Zielke said.

“We will still have time to get him ready for the spring.”

“We will follow a similar path this spring. I feel he is up to that class.”

Worthy Cause campaigned in Melbourne during the 2015 Spring Carnival and was rewarded with a win from five starts in the Listed $120,000 Paris Lane Stakes (1400m) at Flemington and also ran third to Casino Dancer in the Group 3 $150,000 Eclipse Stakes (1800m) at Sandown.

In early betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Ipswich Cup, Worthy Cause is among the fancied runners at $6 alongside of the Darren Weir trained Puccini.

The David Vandyke trained Maurus heads the market order at $2.45 ahead of Chris Waller’s Dance Of Heroes at $5.50 with Iggi Pop at $7.50 and Jumbo Prince at $8.50.

Ipswich Cup market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.45 Maurus, $5.50 Dance Of Heroes, $6 Worthy Cause, Puccini, $7.50 Iggi Pop, $8.50 Jumbo Prince, $26 Instrumentalist, $41 Nissile, $51 Meru, $61 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.