Australian Racing: Bankers Choice can land Cup success

There’s plenty of racing action for punters to get involved in on Saturday including at Eagle Farm where the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara is the highlight.

Race 8 Eagle Farm

Firestorm @ 4.40

Race 5 Eagle Farm

Bankers Choice @ 7.50

Race 9 Rosehill

Elamaz @ 4.00

Firestorm for Tiara glory

The previously mentioned Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara comes up as the penultimate race on a nine-race program at Eagle Farm.

Tony Gollan’s Floozie is expected to have her supporters for the 1400m contest which is set to take place on a soft 5 track.

This daughter of Zoustar has demonstrated good progress this prep winning all four starts including three times at this venue.

The first of those saw her take out a 1200m Benchmark 70 handicap held on a sound surface in April.

The four-year-old has since proven that she handles wet conditions and she broke through for her first Group race success in the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes last time.

That Group 2 triumph came over 1300m here and she has gone well over this distance in the past including when successful at Gold Coast on her penultimate start.

Third that day was Chris Waller’s FIRESTORM and she is preferred having been returning from a spell that day.

While the filly boasts an impressive first up record she was beaten just over one-and-a-half-lengths on that occasion.

The Satono Aladdin filly had ended her last prep with a down the field effort in the 1600m Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick in early April.

Prior to that the four-year-old went close to overcoming a wide barrier when narrowly beaten in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic over 1500m at Rosehill the previous month.

The New Zealand-bred has gone well on soft ground in the past including when saluting at Rosehill in September and she is taken to overcome a wide alley here.  

Bankers for Cup success

Earlier on the Eagle Farm card the Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup over 2400m is set to take place as the fifth race of the day.

Sir Lucan is expected to start favourite with Tim Clark up for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.

The gelding is set to jump from next to the rail as he bids for back-to-back wins having saluted over 2400m in the Listed Winter Cup at Rosehill recently.

This seven-year-old had previously finished last of fourteen over 2000m at the same venue when resuming and he holds obvious claims in this field.

New Zealand-bred BANKERS CHOICE is preferred on this occasion however having won twice over this distance earlier this season.

Ben, Will & JD Hayes' representative was winning for the ninth time when taking out the 2400m Listed Mornington Cup in April.

The pick raced on good going that day and went on to place third, beaten just over five lengths dropped to 1800m for the Group 3 Lord Mayor's Cup here subsequently.

The seven-year-old raced on heavy going that day and while he failed to shine in the Group 2 HKJC World Pool Q22 over 2200m here last time he can be forgiven that effort.

This selection boasts a strong record overo this distance and with soft going no issue he looks capable of providing jockey Jordan Childs with a Group 2 win.

Elamaz to triumph at Rosehill

The penultimate contest on Rosehill’s ten race card is the 2000m Listed Toyota Forklifts W J McKell Cup.

A soft 5 surface is expected for the race with Gleneagles gelding ELAMAZ taking the eye ahead of his first start since transferring from France.

The Irish-bred five-year-old has joined the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott team having previously been in the care of Francis-Henri Graffard.

The pick showed good progress over shorter distances in 2024 winning his first three starts including by a narrow margin in a Vichy Listed contest.

All three of those victories came over 1600m and he ended his time in Europe with a solid second in the Group 2 91. Brunner – Oettingen Rennen at Baden-Baden.

The selection again raced over 1600m that day and he has shown improvement in his barrier trials with the gelding set to make his first start since September.

The five-year-old is bred to appreciate the step up in distance he gets here and he looks capable of recording a victory under Josh Parr.