Almighty Crown has continued his path to the Group One Queensland Derby with a dominant win in a staying test at Warwick Farm.
Almighty Crown shortened from $51 to $26 for the $600,000 Queensland Derby (2200m) at Doomben on June 9 after an authoritative win with in-form jockey Tim Clark.
“There’s a few horses in this race going to the (Queensland) Oaks and the Derby so they had to put up their hand today and he’s certainly one of them,” Chris Waller’s racing manager Charlie Duckworth said.
“He wasn’t quite up to a Derby in Sydney but you’d think he’d be good enough to be a top-five chance up there.”
Almighty Crown, the $4.20 favourite scored by a half length, while second placegetter Tinkermosa ($4.40) is targeting the Group One Queensland Oaks (2200m) on Saturday week after the three-year-old filly produced a dogged run.
“She had to go back to last, then was left open at the 600 (metres) and probably got there too soon,” said trainer John Sargent.
“It was a good effort against older horses. Hopefully she can get a draw in the Oaks and she can race handier.”
Waller also had success with maiden winners Cormac and Pembroke Castle in the TAB Handicap (1400m) and Pluck@Vinery Handicap (1400m) respectively.
