Desleigh Forster eyes off Queensland Derby with I’m Belucci and Cylinder Beach

DESLEIGH Forster is convinced she has two live chances in this Saturday’s Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) as 12 months of planning gets set to pay off for the Brisbane trainer.

Cylinder Beach makes his winning run in the Gunsynd Classic at Doomben. Picture: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography.

DESLEIGH Forster is convinced she has two live chances in this Saturday’s Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) as 12 months of planning gets set to pay off for the Brisbane trainer.

Forster openly admits she has put all her eggs in the Derby basket with I’m Belucci and Cylinder Beach with the latter horse’s victory in the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic in April just an added bonus along the way.

“This has always been their grand final and what they have picked up in between is a bonus,” Forster said.

“I’ve worked 12 months for this day and hopefully it pays off this Saturday.”

UBET rate both I’m Belucci and Cylinder Beach as $21 outsiders in the Derby but Forster insists they are both flying under the radar.

I’m Belucci was only starting to warm up late when sixth in the Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) late last month, while Cylinder Beach was one of the major fancies for the Derby before his disappointing ninth in the same race.

Forster admits Cylinder Beach’s latest performance looks bad on paper but she said he had genuine excuses.

“We just had to do too much early to get to where we wanted to be and the firm track had a bit to do with it as well,” she said.

“He is a much better horse than what he showed last start and we are going to put the blinkers back on him.

“That was the first time Michael (Cahill) has ridden him without the shades on and he said he is a totally different horse with the shades on.”

Forster said it was hard to split her two runners in the Derby but she feels I’m Belucci will come out on top if the race turns into a true staying test.

“They work together and there is nothing between them but if it comes down to a tough 2400m, I think I’m Belucci will out tough the lot of them,” she said.

“But I have no worries about either of them running 2400m and I’m excited about getting them both there this Saturday.”

Forster only has nine horses in work and potentially four of them will be running on Stradbroke day.

She will also have Too Good To Refuse in the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) and potentially Zendaye in the Group 1 JJ Atkins.

“Too Good To Refuse is on the borderline of getting a start in the Stradbroke but he will probably run in the Guineas,” she said.

“He flashed home (in the Fred Best Classic) and he just needs to draw an alley to be competitive.

“The two-year-old (Zendaye) is a nice horse and I know his run the other day was ordinary but he swallowed his tongue and the tongue tie and blinkers will go on if he gets a run.”