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Beefeater and Lubaya have been short listed for the Queensland winter carnival.
Trainer Roydon Bergerson is keen on a trip to Brisbane and plans will firm up if the pair run up to expectations in their next few appearances.
Last-start Gr.3 Taranaki Cup (1800m) winner Beefeater will have the first opportunity to bank travel expenses when he steps up to Group One company for the first time in Saturday’s Haunui Farm WFA Classic (1600m) at Hawke’s Bay.“I’m happy with him, he’s trained on really well,” Bergerson said. “He’s pretty honest and has picked up a cheque every time he’s gone to the races.
“He was going to go to the Herbie Dyke over 2000m, but he got galloped on in the Taranaki Cup so I’ve freshened him up and he deserves a crack at this one.“A lot depends on Saturday and we might look at going to Ellerslie for the New Zealand Stakes.
“If he goes to Brisbane later on we don’t necessarily have to look at the top of the pile – there’s a lot of country cup races worth a fair bit of money over there.”Beefeater has won six of his 23 starts, including a defeat at Matamata last season of the subsequent multiple Group One winner Lizzie L'Amour.
Stablemate Lubaya finished a creditable eighth in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), but the hard track at Riccarton took its toll and she was spelled before resuming with a maiden win at Wanganui last week.“She was very impressive, I don’t know that she beat much but she did it the right way,” Bergerson said.
“She’ll either run at Hastings in the three-year-old race over 1400m on Lowland Stakes day or in a Rating 65 1400m race here (Awapuni) the following day.“If everything goes to plan, we’ll be looking toward the Queensland Oaks later on.”