By Glenn Davis
Victorian trainer Henry Dwyer is hopeful of salvaging a winter carnival feature with Heir To The Throne in the Group 3 Sunshine Coast Guineas on Saturday.
Dwyer hoped Heir To The Throne could give him a second Queensland Derby at Doomben three weeks ago but the three-year-old missed a start in the Group 1 feature.
Dwyer won the Queensland Derby with Sonntag in 2014 only a few years after taking out his trainers’ licence.
He had worked previously with Robert Smerdon for four-and-a-half years as an assistant trainer, spent 18 months with Robert Hickmott and Lloyd Williams before setting off to gain overseas experience for six months.
“Missing the Queensland Derby wasn’t the end of the world,” Dwyer said.
“Actually, I had some doubts about him for the Derby as I thought he may have trained off.”
Heir To The Throne won on a heavy track at the Sunshine Coast last month but was sent to Washpool Lodge to freshen up after missing the Queensland Derby.
“I sent him to Washpool Lodge and he was on the water walker there,” he said.
“That’s brightened him up and his attitude is a lot better.”
Heir To The Throne is a full brother to Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance but Dwyer has no plans to target Australia’s premier staying race this year.
“He’ll go for a spell after this and we’ll take him through the grades when he gets back to Melbourne,” he said.
“He’s a nice progressive stayer but he needs time to mature.”
Heir To The Throne is unbeaten in two starts on heavy tracks which should suit with the Sunshine Coast track currently rated a heavy eight.
However, Dwyer would prefer a drier surface.
“He won on the heavy at the Sunshine Coast three weeks ago but I’d be more confident on a soft track with him,” he said.
Dwyer also will be represented by Legless Veuve in the Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1400m).
Legless Veuve was ridden by Damian Browne in her Queensland debut when sixth to The Monstar in the Group 2 Moreton Cup on June 2.
“I thought her last run was okay but she can be a hard horse to train and it’s been a balancing act with her,” Dwyer said.
“Her first two runs we tried to race her into fitness and I think she’ll run an improved race in this.”
Legless Veuve has won three of her 13 starts including the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude at Caulfield in 2016 and the Group 3 Manfred Stakes at the same venue in 2017.
Racing Queensland webnews June 28