Short-priced favourite Liberation will miss the Doomben meeting and tackle open company in the $100,000 Listed Sunshine Coast Cup.
Liberation was at $2.20 for Saturday’s Benchmark 75 race at Doomben but is at double figure odds for the Cup which was transferred to Sunday after being washed out earlier this week.
Trainer Barry Lockwood said Liberation deserved his chance at a major race and he was not worried about him stepping up from 1000m last start to 1400m.
“I accepted for Saturday in case there were floods again at the Sunshine Coast but the Cup was always his mission,” Lockwood said.
“He has been racing well and his last run at the Sunshine Coast was very good. He has drawn the outside and I have three runners there on Sunday who have all drawn wide.
“But that isn’t always a major disadvantage at the Sunshine Coast.”
Liberation finished an unlucky fourth at his most recent start with Damian Browne aboard but Brad Pengelly will be back on him in the Cup.
Likely favourite Murt The Flirt will be reunited with Chris Symons who is the third Cup rider declared for the gelding.
Symons had a Melbourne commitment on Tuesday which was the original Cup day and was replaced by Daniel Stackhouse.
Apprentice Jackie Beriman was then named as the rider when Stackhouse had problems travelling from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast.
