Cup-winning hoop has Eye in at Ipswich

By Mandy Cottell (Racing & Sports)

Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Robbie Dolan has delivered Gold Coast trainer Melissa Kelly one of her biggest victories with a perfectly judged ride aboard Oughton in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich.

It was Kelly's second black-type success following Oughton's Recognition Stakes win last year and Dolan, who claimed the 2024 Melbourne Cup on outsider Knight's Choice, was aware how much it meant for a small stable.

"It's good for those sort of trainers. It means a lot to them. It's their Melbourne Cup," Dolan said.

"It's a pretty good win for him. He has had lots of problems over the years, come back from Hong Kong.

"It didn't go to plan in the race. I ended up down on the rail but I could see (favourite) Warnie two (lengths) in front of me and I just had my eyes set on him.

"Once I got him to the outside, albeit he wanted to lay in, he found the line well."

Oughton had put the writing on the wall with an encouraging lead-up run when fifth to Front Page in the Moreton Cup (1200m) at his previous start.

Dolan took plenty of positives from that effort and said he was confident the horse could be in the finish on Saturday.

"I had a bit of faith with this horse," he said.

"If you see my comment after I rode him last start, I said he could come to this race and be a good chance."

Oughton began his career in Sydney before being sold to Hong Kong where he raced eight times for two wins.

He returned to Australia in May last year when he found his way to Kelly's stable and she said the horse had shown talent from the outset.

After he won the Recognition Stakes (1350m) at Doomben in November, she set her sights on targeting the Brisbane carnival and knew he was ready to peak third-up at Ipswich.

"We thought we'd put him away and see what he could do over the winter," Kelly said.

"He gets a little bit cocky. He knows when he's won. He knows when he has run a good race.

"He was a little bit soft because he'd gone a month between runs last time and just knocked up. I knew today he was going in a lot fitter."

Outghton ($8) wore down Sha Of Gomer ($20) by a half-length with Fortunate Kiss ($19) another length back in third with $2.45 favourite Warnie a luckless fifth after being held up for clear running in the straight.

Earlier on the card, the well-travelled Flash Aah ($31) broke an 1100-day winning drought in the Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m).

The rising 10-year-old had the race shape to suit after what Toowoomba trainer Troy Pascoe described as a string of unsuitably run races at his recent outings.