PARKER HOPING TO SECURE OAKS BERTH WITH ELIVINA

KERRY Parker is ready to have another crack at an Eagle Farm feature on Saturday – if Elivina gets a start.

The Kembla Grange trainer is keen to give his lightly-raced daughter of Saxon Warrior her chance for Group 1 glory in the $700,000 Queensland Oaks (2200m), but isn’t sure she will make the field.

“I’ll have a better idea when acceptances are taken on Tuesday morning where she is placed,” Parker said this morning.

“She is 24th in order of entry, but there were a few fillies scheduled to take on the boys in the Queensland Derby (2400m) yesterday, which wasn’t run because of the wet conditions.

‘That is probably going to make it very difficult for Elivina to secure a berth.

“I will also nominate her for a 3YO Benchmark 72 Handicap (2000m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday as a precaution.”

Elivina has raced only four times and never finished further back than fourth.

She won a Newcastle Super Maiden Plate (1500m) on April 26, defeating subsequent winner Covert Thinking, and then ran second over 1600m at Canberra on May 9 and fourth over 1800m on a heavy Randwick track 15 days later.

Elivina races in the same Proven Thoroughbreds colours as Parker’s talented four-year-old Flying Bandit, who made his Brisbane debut when seventh to Campaldino in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) on a downgraded Eagle Farm ‘Heavy 8’ before the remainder of the meeting was called off two races later.

“The conditions were pretty ordinary, and I wasn’t disappointed at all with Flying Bandit,” Parker said.

“In fact he ticked a couple of boxes.

“He handled the travel interstate well, and showed yesterday that he can stay.

“They crawled in the race and he got a long way back from an awkward draw, and still made nice ground in the run home.

“That’s it with him for now. He went to the paddock this morning, and hopefully will get some nice Queensland winter sun on his back for a month.

“All going well, we will get him ready for a shot at the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick in early October.”

It was a mixed day for Parker, who thought he was going to have success at Rosehill Gardens with Let’s Go Again before she finished a close second, and then scored with Equilibrist at his home track meeting.

Let’s Go Again ($8) sprinted past $4.40 co-favorite Vegas Raider in the straight in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m), only to be overhauled in the closing stages by the other joint favorite Lady Extreme.

“She ran well and got another go on when the winner challenged,” Parker said. “I’m sure we can win a Midway in town with her.”

And he’s hoping to do the same with hat-trick seeker Equilibrist ($7), who made it two in a row at Kembla Grange, taking yesterday’s Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m), giving jockey Chad Lever his third winner of the day.

“I thought Equilibrist was very well placed,” Parker said. “He won a Benchmark 68 Handicap a fortnight ago, and went up only 3.5kg for the drop in grade.”

Equilibrist was too strong on the heavy track for fellow Kembla Grange trainers Rob and Luke Price’s Spirit Of Varanasi ($6) and Hawkesbury trainer Steve O’Halloran’s Nymphadora ($7.50).

“Whilst he is going so well, I feel we will have to give him his chance to win a race in town,” Parker added.

 Wyong trainer Sara Ryan missed running Piperita at Eagle Farm yesterday – but the day wasn’t a washout altogether.

Whilst Piperita’s Group 3 Fred Best Classic (1400m) was one of four casualties when the meeting was called off after five had been run, Ryan at least had success at Kembla Grange.

Her three-year-old Charleroi ($3.10) took the Super Maiden Plate (1600m) at only his third start.

Ridden by Chad Lever, the Dundeel gelding defeated Audenzia ($16) after a spirited duel ion the straight.

Charleroi, out of the Snitzel mare Meuse, was purchased by Domeland for $360,000 at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter yearling sale.

Story John Curtis, May 31, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos