By Glenn Davis
Talented galloper Order Again is giving the right signals he’s back to his best but wily trainer Brian Smith is coy about his Brisbane winter carnival target.
Last start winner Order Again will be out to repel the Chris Waller juggernaut when he chases back-to-back wins in the Listed Tails Stakes (1615m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Waller is seventh with 44 wins in the Brisbane trainers’ premiership and has four of the eight runners in the Tails Stakes after originally accepting with seven.
Order Again’s career has been plagued with hoof problems and was a one-time favourite for the Group 1 Queensland Derby in 2017.
Order Again rocketed into Queensland Derby favoritism after he ran second in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate before winning the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes at Doomben.
However, he missed the Queensland Derby after it was discovered he had fluid in a joint.
Order Again is now five and has started only seven times since being ruled out of the Queensland Derby registering two wins at Doomben last August and a second-up victory at Eagle Farm last month.
In his last win, Order Again showed he was back to his best form and gave Smith great satisfaction winning decisively for jockey Larry Cassidy.
“He’s progressed since his last win but I’m not getting carried away,” Smith said.
“As far as the winter is concerned it’s one race at a time but he’ll be nominated for all the major races.”
However, Smith has decided to rule out running him in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm in June.
“He can only sprint when he’s fresh and he’s a horse who likes to get back in his races,” Smith said.
The Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 9 looks an ideal target for Order Again if he remains injury free.
Smith won his first Brisbane Cup with former champion Balmerino in 1977 and made it a rare double 38 years later when Jetset Lad was successful in 2015.
Balmerino went on to run second to Alleged in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in 1977.
Jetset Lad and Order Again are raced by the same owners.
Racing Queensland webnews April 19