Season G1 Finale Tatts Tiara - Scratching Brings Banana Queen into Field

Tara Madgwick - Wednesday June 26

The $700,000 Group I Tatts Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm this Saturday is the last G1 of the Australian racing season with a full field of 16 plus emergencies set to provide an intriguing contest with the obvious favourite Bella Nipotina set a task in gate 17 and C'Est Magique will be carrying new rider Blake Shinn following the illness of James McDonald.

Whatever wins the Tatts Tiara will have to get past Bella Nipotina!

A multiple Group I winner with $10million in earnings, the Ciaron Maher trained daughter of Pride of Dubai has been in rare form since travelling to Brisbane and could easily close out her season with another big win.

She is the only G1 winner engaged but there are plenty of progressive girls looking to take that next step including C’Est Magique, who was bought by Tom Magnier for $1.7million at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale and won her first start for new trainer Chris Waller in the Group II BRC Dane Ripper Stakes. A replacement rider for James McDonald will be finalised today.

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Horse (Sire)

Trainer

Gate

Weight

1

BELLA NIPOTINA (Pride of Dubai)

Ciaron Maher

17

57kg

2

SEMANA (Winning Rupert)

Ciaron Maher

6

57kg

3

ROOTS (Press Statement)

Chris Waller

8

57kg

4

OPAL RIDGE (Rubick)

Luke Pepper

5

57kg

5

COMRADE ROSA (Capitalist)

Tony Gollan

19

57kg

6

BUBBLE ROCK (USA) (More Than Ready)

Tony Gollan

15

57kg

7

VIENNA PRINCESS (Snitzel)

Chris Waller

1

57kg

8

C'EST MAGIQUE (Zoustar)

Chris Waller

9

57kg

9

LEKVARTE (NZ) (Reliable Man (GB)

Joseph Pride

7

57kg

10

AUSBRED FLIRT (Maurice (Jpn)

Brad Widdup

12

57kg

11

MORE SECRETS (More Than Ready (USA)

Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes

11

57kg

12

ZOE'S PROMISE (Swear)

Kris Lees

13

57kg

13

COCO JAMBOO (IRE) (Massaat)

Peter & Paul Snowden

3

57kg

14

COEUR VOLANTE (NZ) (Proisir)

Michael Moroney

16

55.5kg

15

ROLL ON HIGH (Shamus Award)

Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman

4

55.5kg

16

ABOUNDING (Rich Enuff)

Robert Heathcote

18

55.5kg

17

MISS JOELENE (Russian Revolution)

Kelly Schweida

10

55.5kg

18e

BANANA QUEEN (So You Think)

Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou

2

57kg

19e

WILLINGA BEAST (Snitzel)

Kris Lees

14

57kg

Coeur Volante has been scratched bringing Banana Queen into the field and she has a gear change with the removal of her nose roll and visors. She was a $1million purchase for Hilldene Farm at the Inglis Chairman's Sale.

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