Weetwood history starts at Doomben

Thursday 16 January 2014, 1:21pm

Perplexing mare Miss Imagica takes her first step towards writing herself into the history books at Doomben on Saturday.

Miss Imagica will start her summer-autumn campaign in the Sita Australia Hcp (1200m) against a small but smart field of sprinters.

The mare has won 10 races and $561,000 prize money but nine of those victories, including five feature races, were on the now defunct Toowoomba cushion track.

Miss Imagica has won only one race on grass, an Ipswich maiden, at her first race start in March 2010.

Trainer Michael Nolan hopes Miss Imagica will make history by being the first horse to win the Listed Weetwood Handicap three times even though the cushion track is consigned to history and the race will be on grass.

Miss Imagica is going for three straight Weetwoods and is one of six horses to twice win Toowoomba's oldest race which was first run in 1895.

The Weetwood is on April 12 but Nolan believes the first step towards history is to win at Doomben on Saturday.

Nolan admits Miss Imagica is one of the most perplexing horses he has ever trained.

"Her form at Doomben has been good and her last couple of starts there have been first rate efforts when placed behind some smart horses.

"Eagle Farm is another matter as she has never run a place there. I don't know why but Doomben suits her," he said.

Nolan takes heart from rival trainer Kevin Kemp's horse Tycoon Red.

"He was another one they were all saying was only a cushion track horse but he has been winning plenty of races on the grass of late," Nolan said.

Miss Imagica is trained at Toowoomba and works on the grass track there.

Nolan said he had gone with apprentice Tegan Harrison whose claim will reduce Miss Imagica's weight to just 52.5kgs on Saturday.

"The top one (River Lad) will be hard to beat but I would be disappointed if Miss Imagica doesn't race well.

"I think she is very well in at the weights getting eighth kilos from River Lad," he said.

Nolan, like all Toowoomba trainers, is thrilled with the area's new grass track.

"I think you will see Toowoomba horses back to the fore soon," he said.

– AAP

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