The Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday provides Darren Weir’s Prince Of Penzance with a great chance to follow up his Moonee Valley Gold Cup win.
Ten runners are set to line up for the $300,000 contest over 2600m with the son of Pentire carrying top weight of 58kg. The five-year-old has an excellent record at Flemington and beat Tony McEvoy’s Le Roi by a length and a quarter last time. The race was run at a crawl in the early stages and it briefly looked as though Prince Of Penzance was going to get blocked off on the home turn. Once he saw daylight he fairly flew home and should confirm the form on Saturday.
Damien Oliver has been booked to partner Le Roi who starts from the wide outside. He finished third to Mourinho in the Listed Cranbourne Cup and is joined in the field by stablemate Big Memory. The latter narrowly failed to book his place in the Melbourne Cup when beaten by Signoff in last week’s Lexus Stakes.
Tommy Berry has chosen to partner Big Memory here in preference to Le Roi, the horse he into second place at Moonee Valley. McEvoy’s five-year-old won the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes, a run that looks even better in light of fourth horse Protectionist’s easy win in the big race on Tuesday.
Le Roi and Big Memory are eligible for a $100,000 bonus as they had accepted for Melbourne Cup but missed out on the ballot. The only concern with Big Memory must be whether he can put in yet another good staying performance after last weekend’s game effort.
Ken Keys runs Bring Something, a four-year-old by Sebring. Luke Nolen takes the ride on him following a narrow victory in the Listed Bendigo Cup. Michael Kent’s Epingle finished fourth in the Moonee Valley Cup while Noble Protector finished second in David Jones Cup and will be ridden by Craig Williams. He has been supported in to favouritism during the week but I would expect to see money come for Prince Of Penzance on the day.
Let’s Make Adeal is also chasing the bonus but could do no better than fifth place in the Lexus Stakes for Nigel Blackiston. He was earlier third in the Herbert Power and would have a chance on that form.
Prince Of Penzance @4-1 Sportsbet
