Eagle Farm Races

Chris Waller’s sensational Domesday colt Pressday has made it a clean sweep in the Brisbane winter two-year-old features with his classy win in the $500,000 Group 1 TJ Smith (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Rosehill-based Pressday burst onto the Queensland scene with an outstanding win in the Group 2 Champagne Classic (1200m) at Doomben on May 25. He continued his winning form at Eagle Farm, taking out the Group 2 BRC Sire’s Produce Stakes (1400m) on June 5, and then made it three from three on Saturday with his TJ Smith victory becoming the season’s most impressive juvenile.

After missing the start from barrier one, Pressday ($3.20F) proved his talent by making up the ground and easily defeating improving filly Ringa Ringa Rosie ($3.90) by one and a quarter lengths, with Pressday’s stablemate American Crew ($17) finishing off the trifecta just a long neck further away in a gallant third.

The Bevan & Richard Laming-trained Ringa Ringa Rosie zipped across from her wide barrier 15 draw to find the lead at the 200m, but failed to hold on after a strong challenge by Pressday who worked well to come from worse than midfield after being late to jump.

Waller, now with five Group 1 wins this season, will send Pressday for a short spell in the Sunshine State before heading towards the lucrative three-year-old races at the Melbourne Cup Carnival in the spring.

After a short spell Pressday will resume racing  in the Melbourne Cup Carnival in spring

Pressday was ridden by in-form hoop Nash Rawiller in the TJ Smith, Rawiller enjoying dual Group 1 success at Eagle Farm on Saturday as he went on to also win the headline event, the $1 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m), aboard Black Piranha.

Other highlights on the card included the $500,000 Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) where the Bart Cummings-trained Dariana claimed an easy win, the $300,000 Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2400m) taken out by Kiwi raider Crossthestart, and the $250,000 Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) won by hot favourite Rothesay.

Although the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival has now come to an end, in a fortnight Eagle Farm will host one final Group 1 feature, the Winter Stakes (1400m). The best place to have a punt on the Winter Stakes and all the other quality Eagle Farm races is online at IASbet, so check out the odds today.

2010 TJ Smith Results