Love To Torque shows winter carnival potential in Eagle Farm win

A “hot and bothered” Love To Torque defied a massive betting drift to win the opening race at Eagle Farm and thrust herself as a potential Group 1 contender in the Queensland winter carnival.

Stuart Kendrick-trained two-year-old filly Love To Torque pounces late to win at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

Punters didn’t want a bar of hot-headed filly Love To Torque but she scorched through the massive betting drift and announced herself as a potential Group 1 JJ Atkins contender in the Queensland winter carnival.

The two-year-old daughter of Maurice was in a muck lather before the start of the QTIS 2YO Handicap (1300m) at Eagle Farm and even her Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick was worried with how much she had sweated up.

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He would have been more worried if he had looked at the betting boards, with Love To Torque drifting from $3.70 to $5.50 and better was available with most corporate bookmakers.

But it didn’t matter as Love To Torque swooped late to pounce on her opposition which included third-placed $1.45 favourite Atomic Time who led and appeared to have every chance.

Love To Torque showed the benefit of previous race experience to score and Kendrick has earmarked the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) in winter as a lofty goal.

A $140,000 Magic Millions purchase, Love To Torque is part-owned by Ian Corazzol whose wife Sherryl has been battling poor health.

Love to win! 🥳

Love To Torque takes the opener for the 2yo's at Eagle Farm!@WilsonTaylor99 | @kendrickracing1 | @BrisRacingClubpic.twitter.com/F3R6BxISUh

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 15, 2025

“The JJ Atkins is the plan, we thought we would give her a couple of runs and if she is good enough we will start trying to aim her towards the JJ,” Kendrick said.

“She is really well bred and it looks like a mile would be absolutely no problem at all.

“Since she got here today she has been sweating and she didn’t do that last time she was at the races.

“She got herself all hot and bothered today and I assume that’s why there was a such a big betting drift.

“Hopefully with that run under her belt, she just settles down better next time.”

Jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor noted Love To Torque was a sweaty mess before the race but insisted he was never overly concerned.

“The benefit of riding for Stuart is that I do a lot of work for him and I get to know these horses,” Wilson-Taylor said.

“I was a little bit worried but I had in the back of my mind she has been like that at home sometimes.

“I have always been told that if horses are sweaty, it can actually be better than not being sweaty on a hot day like this.”

Love To Torque’s Eagle Farm win came at her second career start after not being seen at the races since making her debut last October at Doomben when running fifth.

Meanwhile, the colours of Melbourne Cup-winning Queensland owner Noel Greenhalgh were to the fore when Valetudo surged home to score the Fillies & Mares BM70 Handicap (1200m).

There was good betting support for Valetudo ($8 to $6.50) to knock over the Kendrick-trained favourite Just Precious ($2.80) who finished third.

Originally published as Love To Torque shows winter carnival potential in Eagle Farm win