Australia: Tannhauser trending upward into Queensland Derby

Shortly after Tannhauser lost his seventh consecutive group stakes in Australia in April, he was gelded.

The change worked. Tannhauser rebounded to win the Group 3 Rough Habit Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Doomben Racecourse in Brisbane on May 18 as a prep for Friday’s Group 1 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm, also in Brisbane.

It is expected to be an eventful day at Eagle Farm for Tannhauser, even after the race.

In the hours following the $633,800 Queensland Derby at 1 1/2 miles, Tannhauser is scheduled to be sold, according to media reports in Australia.

A winner of 2 of 12 starts, Tannhauser was the 3-1 second choice in early betting on Thursday. The Queensland Derby drew a full field of 18 led by the filly Autumn Angel at 8-5.

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Autumn Angel, the winner of 4 of 10 starts, was second by slightly more than a length to Tannhauser in the Rough Habit Stakes. A closer, Autumn Angel won the Group 1 ATC Oaks at 1 1/2 miles at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, her third group stakes win and first at the highest level.

Autumn Angel drew the inside post in the Queensland Derby, which may not be a hindrance considering her running style. Tannhauser has a similar style.

The nine-race program at Eagle Farm begins at 9:43 p.m. Eastern or 6:43 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com

In the race before the Queensland Derby, I Wish I Win and Think About It, the first two finishers in the $12.8 million Everest Stakes at Randwick last October, are part of an excellent field of 12 in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Neither I Wish I Win or Think About It have won since the Everest Stakes, which is run at six furlongs and is the world’s richest sprint.

I Wish I Win, the 5-2 early favorite for the Kingsford Smith Cup, has started twice since losing the Everest by less than a half-length. I Wish I Win was second by a nose to Bella Nipotina in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 at six furlongs on May 18. Bella Nipotina is part of the field for the $633,800 Kingsford Smith Cup.

Think About It is winless in four starts since the Everest, the most recent of which was an 11th-place finish by 3 1/4 lengths in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick on April 6 in which he raced near the front early.

Think About It won the 2023 Kingsford Smith Cup, and followed with a win in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm last June.

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