The lure of the final QTIS bonus money of the season has enticed connections to keep Group One-placed three-year-old Heart Skip A Beat in her own age group at Doomben.
Saturday’s meeting is the final chance in 2016/17 for connections to get the the QTIS bonus money which is available only on two and three-year-old races.
Trainer Liam Birchley accepted with Heart Skipt A Beat in the Class Three Plate (1600m) and the Three-Year-Old Handicap (1600m).
He admitted he had a leaning towards the Plate in which Heart Skipt A Beat would have carried only 52kg after Tiffani Brooker’s claim.
“Even after Tiffani’s claim she has 55.5kg as well as barrier 11 in the Three-Year-Old. It is hard to win from wide barriers at Doomben,” Birchey said.
“But the owners were keen to chase the QTIS money and you can’t blame them for that.”
Heart Skipt A Beat has already picked up $43,000 in QTIS bonus money to add to her $157,000 prize money in a career which has featured only one win and eight minor placings form 14 starts.
But she has shown her class by finishing third in last year’s Group One J J Atkins Stakes behind New Zealand horse Sacred Elixir.
Birchley has no doubt her win record should be far better.
“She doesn’t handle wet tracks and she has had some bad barriers along the way as well,” he said.
