Queenstown looks an excellent chance of delivering as favourite in the Listed Grafton Cup on Thursday.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained mare is a multiple Group placed mare and has been sound in two runs back from a spell.
Queenstown stuck to her task well in the Centenary Mile at Eagle Farm last start when fifth behind Kingdoms.
While one of the favourites on that occasion, the effort still possessed merit and the four-year-old would have taken plenty of benefit from the run.
Third run from a spell rising this distance augers well for the Stratum mare at Grafton on Thursday.
The honest four-year-old is unbeaten at two prior third up outings while her lone start over this distance range yielded a career best result when third in the Zipping Classic behind Sertorius.
Under handicap conditions, Queenstown sits down on the limit weight against a number of horses who simply aren’t up to her standard.
Tim Clark rides and coming in to barrier six after scratchings, should have Queenstown positioned somewhere in the first half dozen runners just off the fence.
While consistency is not his forte, Hoylonny on his latest showing in the Winter Cup shapes as a main danger.
The gelding improved out of sight third run from a spell when being collared late by his stablemate and rival here in Secessio.
Hoylonny meets Secessio 1kg better at the weights and should be closing in on peak fitness around this stage of his campaign.
Stablemate Secessio is third elect for the Listed Grafton Cup on Thursday.
The Konigstiger gelding was dropped back in trip after failing to run out the 3200m of the Stayer’s Cup.
Secessio bounced back quickly with the narrow Winter Cup victory and his campaign as a whole this time in has been solid.
He again finds another suitable race and stays under notice.
Travolta is one of only four horses who sit inside the handicap for the Grafton Cup after scratchings.
Fitness was always going to prove telling late for Travolta who resumed with a fading seventh in the Centenary Mile.
Gai Waterhouse steps the gelding up sharply in trip here and fitness again must be a query.
On best though Travolta can be fighting out the finish but like the Centenary Mile, fitness will be the query.
Thursday’s Grafton Cup is clearly lacking in depth so look for the more proven types at the top of the weights to show their class edge.
Of those, Queenstown has the most appeal and can improve her broodmare value with a maiden stakes win in the Listed Grafton Cup (2350m).
