A bunch of battlers from the bush upstaged some of the biggest names in racing when Mackay juvenile Doubtfilly scored a decisive win at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Well ridden by leading north Queensland jockey Adrian Coome, Doubtfilly found the line strongly to scoop the QTIS bonus of $53,000 in the Racing Retro Handicap (1000m).
A $17,500 yearling purchase, Doubtfilly ($4.60) downed the John Thompson-trained and Nathan Tinkler-owned Headless ($3.80 fav) by 1-1/4 lengths with pacemaker Optionality ($7) battling on strongly to finish a length back third.
Winning trainer Stuart Kendrick produced a masterstroke when he added blinkers to Doubtfilly and the Not A Single Doubt juvenile responded perfectly.
“She was doing plenty of things wrong but she also got a bit of a buffeting after she jumped out last start,” Kendrick said.
“I think that made her a bit reluctant when she was racing inside horses.
“She worked really well in the blinkers on Thursday and I made special application to the stewards for her to race in them and they obliged.”
Kendrick moved to Brisbane from Mackay in the early `90s and spent a decade plying his trade in the big smoke but returned home in 2004 and has since established himself as one of central Queensland’s leading trainers.
“I really enjoyed my time here but I have no intentions of moving back,” Kendrick said.
“Things are going really good at home and I have about 24 in work all the time.”
Coome said Doubtfilly travelled sweetly in the blinkers behind the speed and found the line well.
“She was doing too much wrong, especially early in her races, and we thought the blinkers might help switch her on and that’s exactly what happened,” Coome said.
“She jumped well and really travelled for me. She’s a good filly.”
Kendrick said Doubtfilly would be spelled immediately and aimed at QTIS bonus races next preparation.
AAP TURF
