Sibling rivalry in Sunshine Coast Cup

Balboa Rocks (blue/white stripes) and his sister Pennino wil run in the Sunshine Coast Cup.

Siblings and stablemates Balboa Rocks and Pennino will be opponents in the Listed Sunshine Coast Cup for local trainer Darryl Hansen.

The two are among 29 entries for Saturday’s $125,000 race over 1400m on Saturday with Balboa Rocks the defending title holder.

Pennino surged past $500,000 prize money when she won the Mount Franklin Handicap (1200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Hansen said Pennino had been a stellar performer for the stable in each of her three racing seasons.

Pennino won the Group Three Gold Coast Guineas last season and has been stakes placed two other times.

“We used to ride her in the lead but these days we ride her with cover and she can really hit the line hard,” Hansen said.

“If you go back through her form she is never far away in good races.

“I think she is well up to a race like the Sunshine Coast Cup. She can run in it and then go for a spell with the winter carnival in mind.”

Pennino and her elder brother Balboa Rocks are by Group One-winning sprinter Easy Rocking out of the good producing mare Alpha Girl.

Balboa Rocks, who was well beaten first-up at Eagle Farm on Saturday, was at $101 when he won the Sunshine Coast Cup last year after finishing last in his lead-up run.

“He always improves out of sight at his second-up run so I expect him to go a lot better in the Cup,” Hansen said.

Both Pennino and Balboa Rocks can handle wet tracks and Hansen said further rain during the week would be an advantage.

The Sunshine Coast Cup is the final feature of the Queensland summer carnival.