Eight-year-old gelding Irish Constabulary will finally get to contest a Magic Millions race after his solid win at the Sunshine Coast.
Irish Constabulary ($2) ploughed through the mud on Wednesday to score his sixth win in the Benchmark 75 (1000m).
The gelding had a belated start to his racing career after being stuck in a paddock for nearly five years because of an ownership dispute.
He was eventually given the green light to race and had his first start as a seven-year-old at Yarra Glen, in Victoria on November 28, 2015.
The former Victorian training partnership of Sheila Laxon and John Symons brought Irish Constabulary to Queensland when they moved north in May and he has since won five races.
“The race wasn’t run to suit him today but he won and it is now off to the Magic Millions Country Cup on Saturday week,” Symons said.
A Magic Millions spokesman confirmed Irish Constabulary should make the field for the $250,000 Country Cup at the Gold Coast on January 14.
Jockey Michael Hellyer continued his reputation as the bookies pin-up at the meeting when he won a 1300m-maiden on Glen Ord ($31).
Hellyer, who rides all over Queensland and the Northern Rivers, is having a good season and is in 13th place on the state jockeys’ premiership with 29 wins.
About 25 per cent of his winners have started in double figures.
Glen Ord is on of the few horses produced by western Queensland sire Zenyawin and trainer Diane Murphy said he had responded to having blinkers added to his race gear.
