Donna Logan will know more about her team for the Brisbane winter carnival following the premier meeting at Ellerslie on Saturday.
Logan and training partner Chris Gibbs will have five runners spread over the three black type races at Ellerslie, all of whom are potential candidates for the Brisbane carnival.
All Roads will be Opie Bosson’s mount in the Gr.2 Manco Easter Stakes (1600m) and the stable will provide three of the 13 runners - Tavidream, Comin'through and Jake The Muss - for the Gr.2 Valachi Downs Championship Stakes (2100m).
Unbeaten two-year-old Qiji Phoenix completes the black type team and is the only winner in the Listed Diamond Lodge Champagne Stakes (1600m).
Qiji Phoenix, a colt by Not A Single Doubt, has won his two race day outings and will be on trial for a tilt at the Gr.1 J.J. Atkins Stakes (1600m) in Brisbane, a race won last year by Sacred Elixir.
To be ridden by Leith Innes, he won a maiden two-year-old at Te Rapa first-up before winning decisively over 1300m at Ellerslie and beating his Champagne rival Weather With You into second, with Aquamosa, another contender, a further six lengths away in third place.
“He’s a really grouse little horse and we expect him to get 1600m,” Logan said.
The Ellerslie track has improved from a Heavy 10 earlier in the week and is expected to be a Slow 8 by race day.
“The better the track, the better our horses will go.”
Tavidream and Comin’through are two of the leading prospects in a strong field for the Championship Stakes and the pair are likely to be aimed at the Gr.1 Queensland Derby on June 10.
Tavidream, a Tavistock gelding, is making his middle distance debut but has looked well above average when recording four wins and two seconds from six starts. He completed a hat-trick of wins when winning a rating 75 1600m at Ellerslie on April 1.
“He’s still very green and there is so much upside in him,” Logan said. “He’s learning all the time and we haven’t needed to try him over a middle distance until now because he’s been very competitive over shorter distances.
“But his pedigree suggests he will stay and I can’t see any reason why he won’t.”
There is no doubt over Comin’through’s staying ability and he has already won three races at 2000m or further, including winning over 2100m at premier meetings at Ellerslie at his last two starts.
“He’s beaten the older horses at his last two starts and that’s not easy for a three-year-old,” Logan said.
Jake The Muss, a brother to Group One winner Consensus, has been racing solidly at 1600m in rating 65 company. “He deserves his chance,” Logan said.
Five-year-old All Roads won the Gr.2 Japan International Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga at his last start and was the runner-up in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile at Ellerslie in January.
“He’s not as well off at the weights in the Easter as he was last time, but we are very happy with him,” Logan said. ”He’s a definite possibility for Brisbane and there would be a lot of options for him over there.”
