Neasham after maiden Queensland Cup with two imports

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Annabel Neasham is hoping to maintain the dominance of interstate raiders in the Listed Queensland Cup with a two-pronged attack from imported stayers King Frankel and Fancy Man at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Neasham made a late call to send her two stayers north for the 2400 metre feature and has booked Ben Thompson for King Frankel while new stable apprentice Bailey Wheeler rides Fancy Man.

She also accepted with Little Mix but has decided to keep the five-year-old mare in Sydney.

King Frankel was bred in Ireland before coming to Australia late last year when trained by the now Hong Kong-based Mark Newnham.

He was a revelation in his first preparation for Newnham winning three of his first four starts last spring.

King Frankel then resumed from a two month break to claim the Listed Parramatta Cup at Rosehill in February and was subsequently placed in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes at the same track in March.

He did not stay at his only 3200 metre attempt in the Group 1 Sydney Cup at Randwick in April before being moved on to the Neasham stable when Newnham left for Hong Kong.

In two starts for Neasham, King Frankel finished in front of only four runners when resuming in the Group 3 Premier Cup over 2000 metres at Randwick in the middle of August before beating one home in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes at Randwick on September 16.

“He’s had a couple of tough runs in his two starts back this preparation for us,” Annabel Neasham's assistant trainer Todd Pollard said. 

“He’s ready to go third-up and will be very competitive along with Fancy Man.

“Fancy Man has been racing well in Sydney and only got beaten just over three lengths last start.

“Annabel is very happy with both and this looks a nice race for them.”

Fancy Man also was bred in Ireland but has gone winless in six Australian starts for Neasham who bought him at a horses in training sale in the United Kingdom as her Melbourne Cup hope.

The six-year-old son of Pride Of Dubai is coming off a last start sixth in the Group 3 Colin Stephen at Rosehill last month.

Fancy Man was a dual Listed winner and multiple Group 3 placegetter overseas when trained in England by Richard Hannon.

Since 2000, only four locally-trained gallopers have won the Queensland Cup.

Gold Coast trainer John Smerdon was the last local to win the Queensland Cup with Honorable Spirit in 2021.

Veteran Gold Coast trainer Harold Norman was successful with Kugelhopf in 2003.

King Frankel is top weight with 60.5kgs while Fancy Man has 58kgs in the Queensland Cup.

No horse in the last 20 years has carried 60kgs or more to victory in the Queensland Cup with Matthew Smith’s Grey Lion the previous highest weighted winner with 59kgs in 2020.