Courtesy of Qld Racing – Glenn Davis – 04/03/17. Caloundra trainer Natalie McCall will keep her Brisbane winter carnival options open after Colour Charge gave her another Stakes winner at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Colour Charge, ridden by Jimmy Orman, burst from the pack halfway down the straight to down Beatniks by 1-3/4 lengths in the Listed Tattersall’s Members’ Cup (1600m).
Hudson County battled on strongly for third, a further 1-1/2 lengths away.
Colour Charge has been in career best form this campaign winning two of his past three starts for McCall whose career highlight was winning the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap with River Lad in 2014.
“It’s good to see the old horse hitting form as he’s been very unlucky throughout his career,” McCall said.
“They ran along last time when he ran fifth and this race panned out on paper the way he won at his previous start.
“He’s had six days in the paddock just to keep him fresh in the legs since his last start.
“He’s probably looking for further and there’s an 1800 metre Listed race in a fortnight which will be perfect and then I’ll probably have to look at the winter.”
Meanwhile retirement was put on the backburner for trainer Rex Lipp after Our Beebee’s brilliant win in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap (1200m).
Lipp considered retiring from training last year but keeps postponing it due to good horses he’s developed.
Our Beebee looks the latest to delay those plans after taking her record to two wins from three starts with a dominant 1-1/4 lengths win over the fast finishing Beaudacious.
Her only defeat was when she finished third to former boom sprinter Winning Rupert in the Listed Gold Edition Stakes at her previous start at the Gold Coast in mid-December.
Lipp believes Our Beebee, a daughter of his former Listed winner Royal Shiraz, has a big future and is likely to aim her for the Brisbane winter carnival.
“She’s a filly on the up and is still very green,” Lipp said.
“We haven’t found out yet how good she really is but my goal would be, if we get there, the Queensland Guineas.”
The Group 2 Queensland Guineas will be run at Eagle Farm in June.