The lure of a big pay day has promising filly Bimini Road stepping up to Saturday class for the first time at Ipswich.
Bimini Road has been a good performer at the midweek meetings but takes on a much better class of fillies in the Three-Year-Old Handicap (1200m).
The race has a first prize of $40,200 but also carries a QTIS scheme bonus of $24,500 and a fillies breeding bonus of $17,500 to the winner.
Trainer Rob Heathcote has a good opinion of Bimini Road and pointed out the $83,000 on offer was more than for many stakes races.
“Bimini Road trialled well and then had no luck when fourth at her first start. She should have won her second run but she bungled the start and finished second,” Heathcote said.
“Bimini Road was then a late scratching at the barriers at Ipswich but she finally showed us what she could do when she led all the way to win at Ipswich two weeks ago in midweek class.”
Heathcote said while the class was stronger and she had an outside barrier on Saturday he hoped Bimini Road could run well.
The trainer is having a good start to the season with 14 winners including 11 in the metropolitan area which puts him second on the premiership.
“Now we are settled in our new stables at Eagle Farm things should continue to go well,” he said.
