Brisbane Cup on cards for Kiwi import Campaldino after third straight win at Eagle Farm
Former Kiwi Campaldino must have felt like he was back in his former homeland as he relished the heavy Eagle Farm conditions to take out the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m).
There were wild betting fluctuations in the staying event, raced on a Heavy 8 surface, as one-time favourite Immediacy took a bath in betting and blew from $4.20 to $7.
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Immediacy was given a good run in transit by James McDonald but the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained gelding never fired a shot and was beaten out of sight.
Punters zeroed in on former import Dillian, trained by locals Will and Peter Hulbert, and he was backed from $10 to $5.50 favourite in the belief he was a swimmer.
Dillian was also well beaten but, meanwhile, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Campaldino ($7.50) was enjoying the conditions under jockey Tim Clark.
This was a big step up from wins at a midweek event and the Orange Cup.
But the four-year-old who started his racing career on the other side of the ditch has now put three consecutive wins on the board.
'He relished the conditions and he's been a progressive horse and he is starting to put is all together now,' Bott said.
'There's more upside there and he is racing with a bit of confidence.
'We came up here with a bit of confidence the way he'd been working since his last run and the way he's been all preparation.
'When the rain came it filled us with confidence.'
Bott said it was onwards and upwards towards the Group 2 Brisbane Cup over 3200m on Stradbroke Handicap day at Eagle Farm in a fortnight.
Clark said Campaldino felt like a new horse.
'He made a really big leap there coming from midweeks,' Clark said.
'He's just been a different horse since Gai and Adrian took the blinkers off him.
'He was wanting to overdo it. With the blinkers off he relaxes really well.
'He conserves his energy and it was a really dominant performance there.
'The way he's relaxing in his races is the key and I'm sure over two miles he'll do the same.'
The Waterhouse and Bott and Clark team was back in business in the following race with New Endeavour taking out the Group 3 Lord Mayor's Cup (1800m).
It was the former import's first win Down Under but he did boast a runner-up finish in last year's Group 1 Doomben Cup.
Originally published as Brisbane Cup on cards for Kiwi import Campaldino after third straight win in Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Eagle Farm
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