Queensland winter carnival wind-up loses some star horses

The last meeting of the 2024 Queensland winter carnival will almost certainly be raced on a heavy track and some high profile horses won’t be taking their places.

Yellow Brick won’t be seen on the final day of the Queensland winter carnival. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography.

Queensland headline horses Yellow Brick and Abounding will be absent on the final day of the winter carnival but potential Melbourne spring carnival campaigner Knight’s Choice looks likely to line up.

Yellow Brick had been early equal favourite for Saturday’s Listed Glasshouse Handicap on the Sunshine Coast but has instead been put away with southern spring goals in mind.

Tony and Maddysen Sears-trained Yellow Brick was last seen winning the Listed Spear Chief Handicap and was one of the emergencies for the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap but failed to get a start.

He had been due to trial at Doomben on Tuesday to bring on his fitness for a Glasshouse tilt but the trials were postponed because of wet weather.

Yellow Brick is also not at his brilliant best on rain-impacted tracks and the Sunshine Coast track for Saturday’s card is already rated a heavy (9) with more rain on the way.

Just follow the yellow brick road!

Yellow Brick takes Listed Spear Chief Hcp at Eagle Farm and it’s a treble to @mcacajamez and a double to @MS_SearsRacing!@BrisRacingClubpic.twitter.com/3inp3HNPdQ

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 8, 2024

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Abounding had been among the nominations for Saturday’s Group 3 Winx Guineas but was not among the acceptors.

The $3m Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Guineas winner has now been sent for a spell by trainer Rob Heathcote.

However, Caulfield and Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Sheila Laxon said, at this stage, that Knight’s Choice would contest the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m).

The Extreme Choice gelding has been in terrific form, finishing second behind rampant winner Fawkner Park in the $1.2m Q22 before last Saturday placing third behind 2019 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare in the Group 3 Tatt’s Cup.

There has been speculation Knight’s Choice may not line up on his home Sunshine Coast track on Saturday, given he would be confronting a heavy track and was on a seven-day backup.

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However Laxon, who co-trains with John Symons, said the Caloundra Cup remained in the frame.

“We want to take him to Melbourne and race him in the spring so we probably need to test the waters and find out how he goes on a heavy track, in case he encounters wet tracks in the spring,” Laxon said.

“We have accepted with him to race on Saturday and at this stage he will be running.

“We will have a look at things again later in the week – and assess conditions again – but at the moment I am keen for him to run on Saturday.”

Sheila Laxon remains keen to race Knight’s Choice in the Caloundra Cup. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography.

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Through the deeds of Ethereal, Laxon became the first female trainer to score the famed Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double – and she wants to do it again in 2024.

She has Knight’s Choice booked to stay at the famed Macedon Lodge property in Victoria during the spring as she aims to qualify Knight’s Choice for the big Cups races.

“I am looking at the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups for him. Why not do the double, I’ve done it before?” Laxon told Racenet recently.

Originally published as Queensland winter carnival wind-up loses some star horses