The Group 2 $175,000 Moreton Cup (1200m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday has attracted nineteen nominations with dual Group 1 winner Lucky Hussler heading the list.
Lucky Hussler, above, heads up the nominations for the 2018 Moreton Cup at the Sunshine Coast. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Darren Weir trained Lucky Hussler will carry the 61kg top weight for the Moreton Cup which is run under set weights and penalties conditions with the winner being exempt from the ballot for the Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on June 9.
The Moreton Cup is being run at the Sunshine Coast for the first time in a revamped Queensland Winter Racing Carnival due to the on-going resurfacing of the Eagle Farm track.
Lucky Hussler is one of three Darren Weir trained sprinters among the nominations and is ed by Handsome Thief and Platinum Angel.
The two time Group 1 winner is yet to kick off his Winter Carnival campaign after being scratched from the Group 1 $700,000 Kirin Kingsford-Smith Cup (1350m), both run at Doomben.
Lucky Hussler’s last race track appearance was a sixth in the $1m Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast in January, the race he won the previous year during the 2016 Magic Millions Carnival.
Lucky Hussler claimed his first Group 1 trophy during the 2015 Melbourne Autumn Carnival with a win in the Group 1 $400,000 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley and was back in the Group 1 winner’s stall during the 2015 Spring Carnival with a win in the Group 1 $400,000 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield.
Handsome Thief was a winner two starts back in the Listed $150,000 Midfield Group Wangoom Handicap (1200m) at Warrnambool on May 2 before running seventh in the Group 1 $1m Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 19 while platinum Angel is a last start winner of a 1440m Benchmark 78 Handicap at Caulfield on May 12.
Brisbane’s leading trainer Tony Gollan has two nominations for the Moreton Cup, last start winner I’m A Rippa and six year old Notonyourlife.
I’m A Rippa has worked his way up through the ranks and will head to the Sunshine Coast on the back of a win in the Group 3 $125,000 Flight Centre BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on May 19.
Nominations for the 2018 Moreton Cup (1200m)
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5x6001056x | LUCKY HUSSLER | G | 8 | Darren Weir | 1 | 61kg | 112 |
| 2 | 22027×0780 | AIDE MEMOIRE (NZ) | M | 6 | Kris Lees | 2 | 58.5kg | 103 |
| 3 | 0x21812x31 | I’M A RIPPA | G | 4 | Tony Gollan | 3 | 58kg | 97 |
| 4 | x700370x34 | KURO (NZ) | G | 6 | John O’Shea | 4 | 57kg | 102 |
| 5 | 12234430×5 | THE MONSTAR | G | 7 | Brett Cavanough | 5 | 57kg | 103 |
| 6 | 611x84241x | CALANDA | G | 4 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 6 | 57kg | 103 |
| 7 | 5909701217 | IN HIS STRIDE | G | 5 | Rex Lipp | 7 | 56.5kg | 95 |
| 8 | 223x152x47 | NOTONYOURLIFE | M | 6 | Tony Gollan | 8 | 54.5kg | 90 |
| 9 | 1×32721617 | HANDSOME THIEF (IRE) | G | 5 | Darren Weir | 9 | 56.5kg | 97 |
| 10 | 10x0700x90 | QUATRONIC | G | 5 | Matthew Dunn | 10 | 56.5kg | 92 |
| 11 | 5x0287x141 | IRISH CONSTABULARY | G | 9 | John Symons & Sheila Laxon | 11 | 56kg | 95 |
| 12 | 254457×318 | RINGO’S A ROCKSTAR | G | 4 | Norm Stephens | 12 | 56kg | 85 |
| 13 | 115x457x52 | SIR DONALD | G | 4 | Greg Eurell | 13 | 56kg | 78 |
| 14 | x21376x497 | CHALK | G | 4 | Wendy Roche | 14 | 56kg | 68 |
| 15 | x46332x581 | SUPER SUAVE | G | 4 | Liam Birchley | 15 | 56kg | 74 |
| 16 | 15028x26x0 | LEGLESS VEUVE (NZ) | M | 4 | Henry Dwyer | 16 | 57kg | 98 |
| 17 | 11128x230x | PEPPERANO | M | 5 | Liam Birchley | 17 | 54kg | 88 |
| 18 | 611316×138 | BELFLYER | G | 6 | John Shelton | 18 | 56kg | 87 |
| 19 | x31x285131 | PLATINUM ANGEL | F | 3 | Darren Weir | 19 | 53kg | 76.5 |
