Oaks runner headlines Bruce's carnival assault

By Jordan Gerrans

Emerging conditioner Jack Bruce will break new ground in the Group 1 arena this Saturday, but it is not his only hope of further black-type riches through the Queensland Racing Carnival. 

The Eagle Farm mentor heads towards the feature event of this week’s leg of the carnival, the Queensland Oaks with outsider Highgrove Rose.

As of Thursday morning, Highgrove Rose is a $61 chance after drawing wide in the 2200 metre event for the three-year-old ladies.

Bruce has booked top Sydney rider Rachel King for the assignment.

As well as Highgrove Rose’s Group 1 ambitions, Bruce is also hopeful stablemates Earn To Burn and Chica Mojito can contend for feature spoils over the coming weeks.

Highgrove Rose has taken an unusual path towards the Queensland Oaks, but after she worked on the course proper at Eagle Farm on Tuesday morning, Bruce was smiling with how she is travelling ahead of the race.

“She's in good nick,” Bruce said.

“She just trotted back to the winning post and cantered in and went 1400 metres and just home a comfy last three furlongs.

“So, I'm really pleased with her. She just needed to stretch her legs. She's fit, she's deep into the preparation.”

The usual path for a horse on the way to the Queensland Oaks is going through the Gold Coast Bracelet and then The Roses at Doomben.

Bruce went a slightly different way with his Group 1 contender.

The daughter of King’s Legacy won a 1900 metre race on the Gold Coast Polytrack in the middle of May before finishing second in a Benchmark 78 against older horses in a Doomben midweek event 11 days later.

The Doomben race last Wednesday was also over 2200 metres.

“Her last start was good, so I was pleased with her. She was strong through the line and that's what we want to see,” he said.

“I think that's probably the best part.

“For me to have given her a run over the 2200 metres and seen her run it out strongly puts us in a really positive position.

“We've had to take the low road to get her qualified and things probably haven't worked out earlier in the preparation that we wanted to.

“But, the last part of her prep's been really good and she's been strong in some lower level staying contests.”

Earlier in the program on Saturday at Eagle Farm, Bruce will have Earn To Burn, who is set to be ridden by leading local hoop Ryan Maloney, in the Listed Queensland Day Stakes over 1200 metres.

The three-year-old has risen through the ranks smartly in recent times.

The son of Better Than Ready contested the QTIS Jewel for his age earlier this year before going on to place in the Listed Mick Dittman Plate in late April.

He stepped up to another level at his last outing when he claimed the Darby McCarthy at Doomben in late May.

Maloney has been handed a low draw for Saturday and he is a $9 hope with bookmakers in the sprint.

“I have been really pleased with him. He had a big two-year-old campaign,” Bruce said. 

"He had seven runs as a two-year-old and he's come back well at three.

“He ran first-up on New Year's Day and he's still kicking and running really well this preparation. He probably added a string to his bow last start when things didn't go to plan.

"He had to be ridden cold and he came back with a wide run, but he was able to handle that, relax in the run, take that three-wide position, get into the race and execute well.

“And, those are probably the things that used to be missing from his career early days, so it's nice to see he's not just a one-trick pony and he can do it both ways.

“He'll go to the Queensland Day Stakes and then we'll see how far he can progress through.”

Bruce, who has been training in his own right for just four seasons, has recently welcomed talented mare Chica Mojito to the stable after she was previously prepared by champion conditioner Chris Waller.

The mare does not have long left in her racing career and Bruce is eager to add some black-type to her resume before she retires.

Chica Mojito has raced in Group company throughout 2026 in New Zealand and in New South Wales.

“Chica Mojito has come from the Magic Millions mare sale, she's been purchased by a group,” Bruce said.

"So, the plan with her is to give her every opportunity. 

"She's probably got three months left in her racing career before she goes to stud, where she'll be a valuable broodmare proposition.

“So, the plan with her is to line up on Ipswich Cup day. There's obviously the Eye Liner there and there's also the Gai Waterhouse, as well.

“She'll probably have two nominations and she's already a black-type place getter, but a black-type victory would be particularly valuable for her resume.

“She's a highly credentialed filly to come into the stable and let's hope we can add to her value in the coming months.”

Bruce is also hopeful of starting Zoustrology at Bundamba on Ipswich Cup day with the gelding winning twice at the venue recently.