Jumbo Prince showed he was on target for the Group One Queensland Derby when he overcame a wet track to win at Doomben on Saturday.
Jumbo Prince ($5.50) carried 57kg on a bog track to beat Amizade ($3.40) by 3/4 length in The Professor Geoff McKellar Memorial Handicap (1200m).
Jumbo Prince
Trainer Michael Nolan almost scratched Jumbo Prince from Saturday’s meeting as the colt hadn’t started since January and had only one lead-in trial.
“I was worried he might have been a run short on a wet track but he is a quality horse and it was a very good pointer today for the winter,” Nolan said.
“He handles wet tracks and he is just as good on dry. He is horse I have always had a lot of time for and today confirmed my thoughts.”
Jumbo Prince’s next start isn’t set in stone but it will probably be the Toowoomba Guineas (1600m) on May 2.
“It will give him time to get over today’s run and then we will head to the Rough Habit Plate, Grand Prix Stakes and Queensland Derby,” Nolan said.
“I feel he will run a strong 2200 metres and that is the distance of the Derby this year.”
Meanwhile, trainer Lindsay Gough will not be tempted to overestimate his stayer Rock The Pac’s ability despite the gelding’s strong win.
Rock The Pac ($5) was having his 11th start this campaign when he outlasted the favourite Pop `N’ Scotch ($2.80) by a half neck in the Carnival High Tea Handicap.
The six-year-old won his previous start at the Sunshine Coast last Sunday and Gough elected to back up the gelding when he felt Saturday’s race was below par.
“There is one thing about him he is fit. But I think it is probably time to give him a bit of a break. He is rising seven and obviously he is limited,” Gough said.
