Gold Coast trainer Scott Morrisey is hoping his patience with Perilous Love will be rewarded at Group One level in the Queensland Oaks.
Luxbet rates Perilous Love a $26 chance in an Oaks dominated by the Chris Waller stable which has seven runners.
Perilous Love is one of only three Queensland-trained horses to make the 16-horse field with another three the emergencies.
Morrisey originally thought Perilous Love might have been a contender for the Australian Oaks at Randwick in the autumn.
He had the Sydney Classic pencilled in for Perilous Love after the filly strolled home to win a 2030m-race at Doomben by 5-1/4 lengths in March.
At her next start, Perilous Love was anchored by 59kg when fourth in another Doomben three-year-old race on a heavy track.
“The owners have been around racing for a long time and they decided it would be best after that hard run to give her a let-up and aim for the Queensland Oaks,” Morrisey said.
“We wanted to give her every chance in the Queensland Oaks and I feel we have done that. I hope the patience pays off.”
Perilous Love showed she was up to top company with her last-start third behind leading Oaks contenders Kenedna and Oklahoma Girl in The Roses at Doomben two weeks ago.
“It was a very good run as a horse stopped in front of her and she had to go back to near last on the home turn. She finished really well,” Morrisey said.
“She has come though that run well and she is a filly on the up in her campaign while a few of the others have had to travel all over the place to get here.”
Morrisey said if Perilous Love can win or run a place on Saturday her value as a broodmare would be boosted.
“She really is well bred and already has black-type from the The Roses run. Her dam is a half-sister to (Group Two winner) Pembleton and her grand-dam Royal Aria won up to 2000 metres,” Morrisey said.
“In her family is also the Group One Vinery winner Mirjulisa Lass and Fulmonti who won the Group Two Hollindale Stakes.”
Queensland fillies don’t have a great record in the Oaks but Tinto (2014) and Mon Mekki (2002) have won it in the past 20 years.
The Waller-trained Egg Tart is the favourite to emulate her champion stablemate Winx who claimed her first Group One win in the 2015 edition when the race was also over 2200 metres at Doomben while Eagle Farm was undergoing construction..
