New series for Queensland stayers

Racing Queensland has announced a new series which aims to give emerging three-year-old stayers the chance to test their Queensland Derby and Oaks credentials.

The series will be run during the this year’s Queensland summer carnival with a view to the following winter Classics.

It will be named the Eagle Way 3YO Stayers Series, in honour of the Bryan Guy-trained 2016 Queensland Derby winner, and will culminate in a $100,000 Final (plus QTIS bonuses) at Doomben on December 22.

There will be three heats starting at the Sunshine Coast on November 10, with horses to qualify for the final on a points-based system.

QTIS restricted finalists will race for up to $152,000 (fillies) and $135,000 (colts and geldings) with an additional $20,000 bonus – split 80/20 between owner and trainer – if the winner is a Queensland-trained horse.

Guy said the timing of the series was ideal, with trainers able to set their horse for the winter carnival.

“Everybody wants a speed horse due to the money in races such as the Golden Slipper or the Magic Millions but not every horse is a speed horse,” Guy said.

“This series will give Queensland trainers the opportunity to discover whether their horse will be a stayer and allows them to then set the horse for a target, like the Derby, in the future.”

Guy said Eagle Way, who is now in Hong Kong, had shown in the summer of 2015 he would be a nice stayer.

“He’s up with some of the top horses I’ve trained,” Guy said.