Skip to main navigation Skip to main content

Horror draw for Mr Marbellouz

14 February 2019

Share this page

Share on a platform

Or copy the page link

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Kevin Kemp concedes Mr Marbellouz faces a stiff test off a horror barrier draw for a breakthrough open company win at Doomben on Saturday.

Mr Marbellouz is still eligible for a Class Six and will be striving to keep his unbeaten second-up record in tact when he jumps from the outside barrier 11 in the TAB Open Handicap (1110m).

The five-year-old has won six of his 10 starts and is unbeaten in two appearances second-up.

Mr Marbellouz was beaten less than two lengths by Spurcraft in his first start in six months after straining a suspensory ligament when he resumed at the Sunshine Coast on January 26.

Kemp gave serious consideration to running Mr Marbellouz at Doomben last week but scratched him after he also drew the outside gate.

“He’s come through his last race well and I’m expecting him to run well again,” Kemp said.

“He had a bad alley last week as well when I scratched him. I thought it was also a bit too close to his first run after such a long break.

“When he injured himself at the Gold Coast last May the vets advised to give him three or four months off but the owners gave him six.

“He was in work for about three months and had a couple of jumps outs before his first-up run and he’s come through it well.”

Kemp has engaged three kilo apprentice Baylee Nordurft whose weight advantage has been cancelled out by his wide gate.

“It’s a very tough field but he doesn’t have a lot of weight,” Kemp said.

“It is what it is with the barrier and the barrier is probably his biggest worry but if he get can across into a good spot, he’ll run a big race.”

Kemp is aiming Mr Marbellouz for a history making fifth win in the Listed Weetwood Handicap (1200m) at Toowoomba in April.

Kemp aimed the son of Love Conquers All for last year’s Weetwood but he was second emergency and failed to gain a start.

Kemp equalled the long-standing record of the late Bill Nielsen to train four Weetwood winners when he claimed the famous Darling Downs feature with Typhoon Red in 2014.

His previous Weetwood winners were Startell in 2001 and Tellem in 2005 and 2007.

“It’s a hot field again on Saturday and both Spurcraft and Tumbler are very good horses,” he said.

Racing Queensland webnews   February 14