Four extra entries have boosted the nominations for the Group 2 $200,000 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday from six to ten.
Charlie Boy, above, is one of four late entries for the Victory Stakes at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The Brisbane Racing Club was forced to extend the nomination deadline until Tuesday morning for the early Winter Carnival weight for age sprint after only six sprinters were in the original entries.
Charlie Boy, Rock Royalty, Pinch River and Artlee have joined original entries Fell Swoop, Famous Seamus, Didntcostalot, Choice Bro, Fontelina and Knoydart to extend the nominations to a more respectable number for the 1200m sprint.
The Matt Dale trained Fell Swoop will head to Doomben with some very good Autumn Carnival Group 1 form under his belt with Jay Ford replacing the suspended Damien Oliver who had been booked to ride the four year old on Saturday.
Fell Swoop with Glyn Schofield in the saddle was beaten a nose by Flamberge when second in the Group 1 $500,000 Clamms Seafood Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 27 then ran fourth to Griante for Brenton Avdulla in the Group 1 $700,000 Banjo Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on March 19.
Then at his latest outing with Zac Purton aboard, Fell Swoop ran second to Chautauqua in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on day one of ‘The Championships’ on April 2.
Dale has picked out the Group 1 $500,000 UBET BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 14 as Fell Swoop’s first Brisbane Winter Carnival Group 1 assignment and is keen to give him a solid hit out prior.
“If he didn’t start in the Victory, he would have had to trial in between races anyway, so why not run?” Dale told The Courier-Mail.
Late entry Charlie Boy also heads north on the back of a short Sydney Autumn Carnival campaign which included a tough first up win in the Group 3 $150,000 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Randwick on February 27.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Charlie Boy was then only beaten a length and a half when sixth behind Music Magnate in the Group 3 $150,000 Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 16.
Artlee, also a late nom, heads to Brisbane after finishing ninth in the Hall Mark Stakes at his first run back after running ninth in the Group 3 $200,000 Guvera Stakes (1400m) at Flemington during the 2015 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Brisbane jockey Michael Cahill has been booked to ride Artlee in the Victory Stakes, replacing Mitchell Bell who partnered the five year old in the Hall Mark Stakes.
“I haven’t had a chance to look at the race replay but I am told Artlee didn’t have much luck last start. He looks a nice ride on Saturday,” Cahill told AAP.
