Hansen on target for three straight Cairns Newmarkets

By Glenn Davis

Darryl Hansen believes Doctor Zous is in career best form and is primed to give the Caloundra trainer a third straight victory in the Newmarket at Cairns on Saturday.

Hansen has been a regular visitor to the Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival for the past two decades and has won the last two Cairns Newmarkets with Doctor Zous (2021) and Bombasay (2022).

He also has won five Rockhampton Newmarkets, a Mackay Cup, Mackay Newmarket and a Townsville Cup but is yet to win North Queensland’s jewel in the crown, the Cleveland Bay Handicap.

Hansen originally sent four horses north from his Caloundra base but is down to two after one was transferred to Janel Ryan and another was injured.

Heavyweight jockey Ashley Butler has been retained to partner the eight-year-old in the 1400 metre feature.

“It was a big effort from him in the Cleveland Bay last week and for a while I thought he was home,” Hansen said.

“But, the winner, Isis Carmella, got the right run at the right time and beat us fair and square.

“He’s in great form this year and he won the Mackay Newmarket two runs back in race record time.”

Doctor Zous won the Cairns Newmarket in 2021 after finishing second to Master Jamie in the Cleveland Bay Handicap in Townsville that year.

He followed the same path last year finishing second to Wren’s Day in the Cleveland Bay before finishing fifth to his stable mate Bombasay in the Cairns Newmarket.

“I’ve won most of the big races up north except for the Cleveland Bay and hopefully I can win the Newmarket again on Saturday,” Hansen said.

Hansen rates the Michael Lee-trained Yes Dream and Smart Image from the Trevor and Peter Rowe stable as the main threats to Doctor Zous.

Yes Dream and Smart Image are arguably two of North Queensland's best sprinters.

Yes Dream has won nine of his 15 starts and will be near his peak form at his third run back from a spell.

The five-year-old was well below his peak when resuming with a midfield finish behind Smart Image at Townsville last month before a much improved fourth in the Cleveland Bay, where he was beaten less than three lengths.

Smart Image is an 11 time career winner in 31 starts and was a fading eighth in the Cleveland Bay after leading into the straight.