Scenic Shot will launch his quest for a second Doomben Cup when he makes his Queensland return at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Scenic Shot has thrived since arriving in Queensland a fortnight ago following a two-day float trip from Melbourne and will run in the Listed Members’ Cup.
His Perth trainer Dan Morton campaigned the eight-year-old in Melbourne during the autumn where the gelding had five starts culminating in a game fourth to Shocking in the Group One Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 12.
Morton was also keen to send stablemate Bliss Street, winner of the Group Two Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on April 2, to Brisbane for the winter juvenile races but ran into transport difficulties.
“I wanted to run Bliss Street in the Champagne Stakes in Sydney on Saturday and then possibly send her up to Queensland,” Morton said.
“But we had to abandon all that because we couldn’t organise a flight over from Perth.”
Shane Scriven has been booked to partner Scenic Shot pending the outcome of a stewards’ inquiry this week following an incident at Ipswich on Friday.
It was established rider Ben Looker had accidentally knocked Scriven’s whip from his hand and in retaliation Scriven grabbed Looker’s whip inside the final 100 metres of the Warwick RSL Handicap.
Morton hopes Scriven will be clear to ride.
“Shane rode him in Melbourne and knows the horse well and has been riding him in all his work since he’s been in Brisbane,” Morton said.
“We’ll probably get the grandstand in the Member’s Cup but he needs to start off somewhere.
“It’s only 1600 metres so he’ll probably find it a bit short but I’ve got to get the wheels turning with him.
“I couldn’t be any happier the way he’s going there. He’s settled in really well.
“He’s an eight-year-old now and might have lost a length or two compared to when he won the Doomben Cup two years ago.”
Morton was delighted with Scenic Shot’s performance in the Australian Cup.
“He didn’t get any favours when the track dried out quickly in the Australian Cup and I was quite happy with his run,” Morton said.
“If there’s some sting out of the ground while he’s in Brisbane he’ll be very competitive.”
Morton has pencilled the same weight-for-age races Scenic Shot tackled before he claimed the Doomben Cup (2020m) in 2009.
After the Member’s Cup, Scenic Shot will run with two week breaks between the Group Two Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast on May 7, the Doomben Cup and the Group Two Eagle Farm Cup (2200m) at Eagle Farm.
AAP TURF
