Anderson hopes to end Queensland Cup drought

By Glenn Davis

Hobby trainer Kim Anderson is hoping jockey Taylor Marshall can help her snap a Queensland Cup drought for Brisbane-trained horses in the Listed feature at Eagle Farm.

Since 2000, no Brisbane trained horse has won the 2400-metre staying event.

Anderson has in-form stayer Top Order in Saturday’s Queensland Cup and will stick with Marshall who has ridden the five-year-old in 11 of his past 12 starts.

The Queensland Cup has been dominated by interstate raiders over the past two decades with only three state-based horses successful in that time.

The last Queensland trained stayer to win was Spechenka who was prepared by Ben Ahrens at Beaudesert in 2012.

Toowoomba’s Ron Maund also claimed the Queensland Cup with Ice Chariot in 2007 while veteran Gold Coast trainer Harold Norman was successful with Kugelhopf in 2003.

Anderson has never had a Queensland Cup runner and expects a strong performance from Top Order who has won two of his past three starts.

The son of Top Echelon produced a strong Queensland Cup trial last start storming home from last for a close fourth behind Sydney visitor Navy Cross in a 2200-metre Benchmark race at the Gold Coast on September 18.

Anderson has only three horses in work and is not concerned with Top Order handling the extra distance.

“He should handle the extra distance as he’s very relaxed and likes Eagle Farm,” Anderson said.

“It’s just a matter of whether he’s good enough on the day.

“He’s got a bad draw but that won’t worry him as he falls out of the gates and gets back anyway.”

Anderson has been training for more than 30 years and got into the racing caper after dabbling in breeding in her university days.

“I was studying commerce at University when I bought a mare and bred from her,” she said.

“That got me interested in training so I got my licence about 30 years ago and started off at Ballina.

“I then moved up to Townsville where I got my Bachelor Of Commerce degree and stayed there for about 10 years.

“I worked for the Government as an accountant most of my life.”

Anderson rated the John Smerdon-trained Honourable Spirit, who finished second in last month’s Toowoomba Cup, as the main threat.