Trainer Desleigh Forster had mixed results at the barrier draw for her two runners in Saturday’s Listed $175,000 City Of Ipswich Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich.

I'm A Rippa, above, is one of four Tony Gollan trained runners in the 2019 Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich. Photo by Steve Hart.

I’m A Rippa, above, is one of four Tony Gollan trained runners in the 2019 Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich. Photo by Steve Hart.

Malvern Estate was well treated with barrier two while Chapter And Verse was out of luck and will jump from gate fifteen in the sixteen horse field.

Forster is hoping Malvern Estate can find the winner’s stall again after a long run outs but his recent consistent form shows that he is hasn’t been far off the pace with four placings from his last six starts  and is coming off a last start fourth to Redouble in the Listed $125,000 Spear Chief Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on June 1.

“I know trainers talk about their horses being consistent and deserving a win. But he has raced in the best company and never been disgraced,” Forster told Racenet.

“The Eye Liner is perfect for him and it is probably going to be the right conditions with a softer surface.”

Forster had been hoping to qualify Chapter And Verse for last Saturday’s Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm, but at this stage will settle on a start in the Eye Liner Stakes and aim for next year’s Stradbroke Handicap.

“I said all along it would be no disaster if Chapter and Verse didn’t make the Stradbroke field this year,” Forster said.

“He is still on the up and next year was where I was really looking. I always had the Eye Liner in the back of my mind and it does look a nice race for him.”

Trainer Tony Gollan will saddle up four runners in the Eye Liner Stakes and also had mixed results at the barrier draw.

I’m A Rippa will be backing up after finishing fifteenth in the Stradbroke Handicap and has drawn nicely at barrier four, Snitch has drawn the rails, Coldstone has drawn five while Natch has drawn sixteen and will jump from the outside gate if there are no scratchings with the only emergency Astoria drawing gate seventeen.

Final field for the 2019 Eye Liner Stakes (1350m)

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp Rating
1 x21145x800 MAN BOOKER Daniel Morton Blake Shinn 14 59kg 104
2 7x312x7030 I’M A RIPPA Tony Gollan Larry Cassidy 4 58.5kg 103
3 x195x18002 VIOLATE Brent Stanley Matthew McGillivray 9 58.5kg 103
4 0x210x5100 COLDSTONE (FR) Tony Gollan Ryan Maloney 5 58kg 102
5 0x42158173 MR MARBELLOUZ Kevin Kemp Baylee Nothdurft (a) 8 54.5kg 95
6 1495710×90 PRIORITISE Steve Tregea Ryan Wiggins 3 54.5kg 95
7 x15221x140 CHAPTER AND VERSE Desleigh Forster 15 54kg 92
8 06x9507x27 PETROLOGY Matthew Dunn Jim Byrne 6 54kg 92
9 310x01008x BALBOA ROCKS Darryl Hansen Les Tilley 13 54kg 91
10 6939527×30 DREAMS APLENTY John Zielke Sean Cormack 7 54kg 91
11 31x32648x3 GAULOIS James Cummings Michael Cahill 12 54kg 90
12 7×76232434 MALVERN ESTATE Desleigh Forster Robbie Fradd 2 54kg 89.5
13 12x499x122 NATCH (NZ) Tony Gollan Brad Stewart 16 54kg 88
14 0615714×05 BEL BURGESS David Murphy Dale Smith 11 54kg 86
15 1110×69272 SNITCH Tony Gollan Glen Boss 1 54kg 86
16 20x224435x OINK Kelly Schweida 10 54kg 83
17e 44235463×6 ASTORIA Diane Murphy Justin Stanley 17 54kg 83

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.