Te Akau Racing’s Mark Walker is hoping for a case of third time lucky when he saddles up high-class mare Entriviere in the $1 million Doomben 10,000 at Eagle Farm.
Since taking over from the Hong Kong-bound Jamie Richards at the start of April, Walker has had two carnival runners in Brisbane and both have finished second – Sword Of State in the Gold Coast Guineas and Soprano Supreme in the Cup.
Entriviere has not raced since her runner-up performance at Group 1 level in New Zealand in February and targeting her at the Doomben 10,000 fresh has been a deliberate strategy.
The mare is unbeaten first-up and connections are keen to further boost her residual value by winning an Australian major.
“After her run at Te Rapa, we felt there were a couple of races in New Zealand but if we could get an (Australian) Group 1 on her CV it would add a lot to her value,” Walker said.
“This was the logical race to try to target.
“Everything was going according to plan until the barrier draw came out, but with the weather forecast, you never know, it might be the best part of the track to be in.”
Entriviere will jump from the outside gate in 15 and will be partnered by Opie Bosson, who steered her to her Group 1 Railway Stakes win in New Zealand first-up last preparation.
Walker said the five-year-old had not put a foot wrong since her arrival in Queensland two weeks ago and the decision by racing officials to shift the feature meeting from Doomben to Eagle Farm due to the track conditions carried an unexpected bonus.
Entriviere was scheduled to gallop at the Gold Coast last weekend but the workout was rerouted to Saturday’s new Doomben 10,000 venue.
“She worked at Eagle Farm because they transferred the gallops to there, so that worked out well because she has had a bit of a look around that track,” Walker said.
Four mares have won the Doomben 10,000 in the past 20 years with English in 2018 the most recent.
