The revamped Eagle Farm circuit has worked wonders for consistent stallion Beckham, which has won a second race on the new surface.
Beckham ($4) outslogged Toowoomba mare Angel Dancer ($6) to score by half a length, with Flamboyer ($4) in third place in the Chairman’s Club Handicap (1400m) on Saturday.
Eagle Farm has had 10 weeks of racing since reopening with a new surface, and it’s obvious many horses aren’t handling it.
Beckham and Flamboyer were the only two in the Open to have won on the new Eagle Farm track and again appeared to handle it best.
The six-year-old stallion has won seven races, but trainer Liam Birchley believes his best is yet to come.
“For a stallion Beckham is a gentleman and very consistent. He has thee wins, two seconds and a fourth this time in,” Birchley said.
“He is very well bred, being by top Kiwi sire Pins out of Group One-winning mare Glamour Puss, so I would like to win black type with him.
“He wasn’t far away in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes in the winter and he is up to that type of class. But where we find those races is up in the air at the moment.”
Trainer Michael Nolan was pleased with Angel Dancer’s first open company run and will probably press on with her campaign.
“It was a bit like the finish to a 3200-metre race. Horses just don’t sprint home on this surface – they slog home,” he said.
Promising northern rivers galloper My Cousin Bossy is off the market after winning the XXXX Summer Plate (1200m).
Trainer Steven Phelps said there had been several offers for My Cousin Bossy after his midweek win at Doomben in June and recent second at Eagle Farm.
“He is definitely off the market now. He is the best horse I have had on potential. I would like to give him one more run and then spell him with the summer races in mind,” Phelps said.
Jockey Jackson Morris made up for a bad start to the day when Total Authority ($8.50) won the Spring Racing Carnival Handicap (1400m).
Morris was late to the track and was stood down from his first ride but gave Total Authority every chance.
The mare had a stint with Con Karakatsanis in Sydney before return to Les Ross at Eagle Farm.
“She ran third in an open company race last start and Beckham was second, so when he came out and won today I was more confident,” Ross said.
