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Summer Crown bonus an option for Whypeeo

16 December 2017

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By Glenn Davis

A $400,000 Summer Crown bonus has emerged as a serious option for under-rated Gold Coast three-year-old Whypeeo following the gelding’s narrow win in the Gold Edition Plate at Doomben on Saturday.

Whypeeo gave premier jockey Jeff Lloyd his second win of the day leading all the way to down Sydney raider Pierata by a short neck in the 1200-metre Listed feature.

Shogun Son was third, a further 2-1/4 lengths away.

Whypeeo’s win was his fourth from six starts and made amends for his previous third in a Benchmark race at Canterbury on December 10.

“He went awful in Sydney and we had our tails between our legs after that run,” said stable foreman Trent Edmonds.

Edmonds said Whypeeo would have his next start in the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate (1350m) at Doomben in two weeks.

A decision will then be made whether he targets the final leg of the Sumer Crown series, the $2m Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast on Janaury 13.

“His next run will be in the Vo Rogue and that run will tell us whether he can run 1400 metres,” Edmonds said.

“I can’t see why he won’t run 1400 metres. If he can get an early lead he can get a breather midrace like they often do in Sydney.

"If he doesn’t go on to the Magic Million Guineas, he’ll go for the Magic Millions Sprint.”

A $400,000 bonus is on offer if one horse wins three of the five races in the Summer Crown series.

Earlier Lloyd lifted Toowoomba galloper Emphasis to back-to-back wins in the Cascade Open Quality (2020m).

Emphasis rediscovered his best form to wear down Rudy for a neck win with Sydney visitor Long Time Ago third, a further 2-1/4 lengths away.

Emphasis won last year’s Cascade Handicap at Doomben and needed to win the Shoot Out Quality at Eagle Farm at his next start to earn a wild card entry into the $1 million Magic Million’s Trophy (2200m).

However, Emphasis could manage only third to Col “N’ Lil in last year’s Shoot Out and missed a wild card entry into the Magic Millions Trophy.

Toowoomba trainer Ritchie Stephenson will have another go at a wild card entry for the Magic Millions Trophy with Emphasis whose next start will be in the Shoot Out Quality (2000m) at Doomben on December 30.

“He just missed out getting a wild card entry last year so we’ll have another crack again,” Stephenson said.

“He loves Doomben and dry tracks so we’re hoping the weather stays the same.”

Racing Queensland webnews   December 16