Scallopini a Brisbane winter hopeful

Scallopini’s Eagle Farm win should give him enough ratings points for better races.

Improving gelding Scallopini has emerged as a winter carnival horse after a win in a race at Eagle Farm where there was confusion about why he was starting.

Scallopini was heavily backed in from $4.40 to $2.60 before scoring a three-quarter length win over Shogun Sun ($6.50) in Saturday’s Sporting Chance Foundation Open (1400m).

The gelding is part-owned by Aquis Farm which announced on Friday it would not be running horses in Queensland until it was happy with the way integrity issues were handled in the state.

Aquis scratched some of its horses on Saturday but not Scallopini because the ban only covers horses in which it has a majority share.

Scallopini races in the colours of another part-owner, the Proven Thoroughbreds syndicate.

Aquis will donate its share of the prize money to charity.

Trainer Steve O’Dea hopes to run Scallopini in the Listed Prime Minister’s Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast on May 4.

“I hope he will get into the field. His rating should lift a few points,” O’Dea said.

“I think he can be competitive in better races. It is just a matter of getting into the field.

“The change in him was the decision to geld him. He is by Snitzel but it has been the turning point for him.”