By Glenn Davis
Kelly Doughty is hopeful a win from Blue Book in the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic at the Gold Coast on Saturday will lead to her biggest ever payday later this month.
Doughty has only claimed one previous Group 3 race and expects Blue Book to be hard to beat in the 1200-metre feature.
“I’ve won a Group 3 before and hopefully if Blue Book runs well tomorrow he’ll go on to the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes,” Doughty said.
The $250,000 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1350m) is a Group 2 feature run at Doomben on May 26.
Doughty’s career highlight was winning the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic at Doomben in 2010 with Sanderson.
Premier jockey Jeff Lloyd has stuck with Blue Book who won his first three starts before suffering his first defeat when third to Mishani Hustler at the Sunshine Coast on April 14.
Mishani Hustler has since franked the form by winning at his subsequent start in the Listed Dalrello Stakes at Doomben two weeks later.
Blue Book is a son of Denmarket and was bred by his owner Phil Sullivan.
“Blue Book is the first horse I trained for Phil and now I’ve got another four for him,” Doughty said.
Denmarket was originally trained in Western Australia where he won the Group 3 Sires’ Produce Stakes before being trained in Sydney by Gerald Ryan.
Under Ryan, Denmarket claimed the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes in 2005 before he was again transferred to Sydney’s David Payne and then David Kelly on the Gold Coast.
Doughty is delighted with the progress Blue Book has made since his last outing and is not concerned with a three-week break between runs.
“He’s really good at the moment and needed his last run which was his first run back from a spell,” Doughty said.
“He’s improved a lot and he’ll be hard to beat this time.”
Doughty is undecided if Blue Book will push on to next month’s Group 1 J J Atkins (1600m) at Doomben.
“At this stage his final race will be in the Sires’ Produce but I’ll see what his form is like at the time whether he goes on to the J J Atkins,” she said.
In latest UBET markets, Blue Book is on the third line of betting at $5 behind $3.20 favourite Lean Mean Machine and Boomsara at $4.80.
“Although he’s trained at the track I don’t think that’s any great advantage and Boomsara looks our biggest danger,” Doughty said.
The Chris Munce-trained Boomsara won the $250,000 QTIS Jewel at the Gold Coast at his latest outing on March 17.
Racing Queensland webnews May 4