Well-bred filly Iowa helped Chris Waller continue his domination of Queensland metropolitan middle-distance races, but her career as a stayer could be short lived.
Iowa ($1.80 favourite), who is raced by prominent Gold Coast owners Henderson Racing and Breeding, is a grand daughter of champion sprinter Alinghi but showed stamina to win a maiden (1800m).
It gave Waller his 11th metropolitan winner from his Gold Coast stable which was set up in August.
Waller planned to target staying races in Queensland and it is working as Iowa was his eighth metropolitan winner in races longer than 1800m.
His Queensland stable foreman Paul Shailer said Iowa had shown good enough form in NSW to win an 1800m maiden at the Gold Coast.
“She has been working well and she has a metropolitan win now,” Shailer said.
“It will be up to Chris but I think 1800m might be as far she wants to go and we might drop her back to 1600m.”
Iowa’s win on Wednesday gave jockey Robbie Fradd the third leg of four early winners also on Dapper One ($3 favourite), Ooshe ($9.50) and Daring Deeds ($4).
Trainer Les Ross said Dapper One was headed to Saturday metropolitan after her win.
“Dapper One had a throat operation earlier this year but has been racing very well done since. She is definitely a Saturday horse.”
Daring Deeds was a pick-up ride for Fradd after Jim Byrne was an injury-enforced absentee.
Trainer Tony Sears decision to change riding tactics on Bonsho ($2.50 favourite) continued to pay dividends when she won her second race in a row.
“She was a leader but kept getting attacked so we decided to ride her just off the pace and it is paying off,” Sears said.
