Wehlow hopes for change of luck in Cairns Cup

By Glenn Davis

Rockhampton trainer Jared Wehlow believes he’s due for a change of luck when he attempts to claim his first Cairns Cup at Cannon Park on Saturday.

Wehlow is double handed in the 2100 metre feature with Louis January and Quality Asset and he can’t split his pair.

Louis January is a recent addition to the Wehlow stable - after previously being trained by Kacey Fogden at the Gold Coast - and is looking for his fourth win in six starts for the Central Queensland stable.

The six-year-old is chasing a hat-trick of wins after claiming a Benchmark race over 1800 metres at Mackay last month before his recent win in another Benchmark race over 2000 metre at Townsville on August 6

Quality Asset was formerly trained in Victoria by Matt Laurie before heading north where the five-year-old made his debut for Wehlow winning a Class 2 event in Townsville in March.

Since then, Quality Asset has started a further eight times for three more wins and is coming off a last start second to the Ricky Vale-trained Namazu in the Townsville Cup on August 6.

“I’ve never won the Cairns Cup but I’ve been a bit unlucky the past few years,” Wehlow said.

“I’ve had runners that were either scratched on race morning or scratched at the barriers and my best effort was with Onemore Emotion, who ran fourth behind The Harrovian three years ago.”

Wehlow has booked Robbie Fradd (pictured) for Louis January, replacing heavy weight rider Ash Butler, while Nathan Day will partner Quality Asset.

“Robbie’s had a few rides for me and has ridden a couple of winners,” Wehlow said.

“He’s only got 54kgs, which meant Ash couldn’t ride him, and he should be well suited around the Cairns track.”

Louis January led all the way in his Mackay and Townsville wins and Wehlow expects to adopt similar tactics in the Cairns Cup.

“He won’t know himself with 54kgs and he likes to jump and bowl along in front,” Wehlow said.

“Sometimes he can overdo it a bit but he’s got such a high cruising speed so I expect he’ll go forward again.

“Both my runners have real good chances.”

Wehlow has named Namazu as the main threat again along with Tablelands galloper Maquereau, who won twice in Townsville, before a last start sixth in the Townsville Cup, when beaten less than three lengths.