By Glenn Davis
The Chris Waller stable ruled out a Brisbane Cup start next week for Egg Tart and will start plotting a Caulfield Cup course after the Hall Of Fame trainer landed his third O’Shea Stakes at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
Egg Tart, ridden by Leith Innes, made her opposition look second rate scoring by 2-1/2 lengths over Tradesman in the weight-for-age Group 2 feature.
Megablast was third, a further half head away.
The win broke a 12-month losing streak for Egg Tart who had not won since her Queensland Oaks victory last June.
Waller’s previous O’Shea Stakes wins were with Triple Honour in 2010 and Moriarty four years later.
Stable foreman Paul Shailer said the O’Shea Stakes was an after thought as the Doomben Cup, in which she ran second, was her main mission.
“She’s a classy mare and Chris brought her here today to test her at the distance and she did us proud,” Shailer said.
“Today was an afterthought as the Doomben Cup was her main mission.
“She’ll go for a spell now and Chris has the Caulfield Cup in mind for her.”
Egg Tart became the latest millionaire with her seventh win from 17 starts taking her prizemoney past the $1.11 million mark.
Speaking from Sydney, Waller said he made the wrong decision to target the Doncaster Handicap with Egg Tart this year.
“After winning the Oaks we targeted the Epsom but she had a saw eye and couldn’t run,” Waller said.
“I had in it my mind to target a good mile race with her, hence why we ran in the Doncaster but it was the wrong thing to do as she should have been going up in distance.”
Meanwhile former top apprentice Luke Tarrant bounced back to his best winning the Listed Lightning Handicap on the Stu Kendrick-trained Tarzan.
Tarzan continued his amazing record at the Sunshine Coast by downing siblings Tumbler and Nieta.
Tarzan’s win was his seventh in 11 starts at the track.
“He loves it here but we were a bit shattered when he drew off the track,” Kendrick said.
“I was a bit worried at the 200 but he dug deep and found another gear.”
Earlier talented Gold Coast filly Granny Red Shoes may have earned a trip to Melbourne in the spring following her brilliant win in the Listed Oxlade Stakes (1200m).
Granny Red Shoes made the most of a fast tempo up front weaving her way through the field to down Axella by two lengths with Spirit’s Choice, third, only a neck away.
It was only her second win from seven starts for the Toby Edmonds stable.
Stable foreman Trent Edwards heaped praise on winning jockey Jeff Lloyd who believed the fast pace played into her hands.
“She’s all class and it’s good to get a Stakes win for her owners, Segenhoe Stud, who helped kicked us off,” Edmonds said.
“At the end of the season we might take her to Melbourne or maybe hold on for the Magic Millions.”
Racing Queensland webnews June 2