South Aussie Stayer Plots Group 1 Upset

SOUTH Aussie Stewart Barber believes if Bedrock Fred had drawn an inside box for Thursday night's Group 1 Queensland Cup Final (710m) at Albion Park, the inexperienced stayer would go close to winning.

Bedrock Fred (Spring Gun-Dashing Dee Dee) has drawn out in the seven but Barber, whose wife Cherylee trains the dog when at home, still believes “with luck” he can win.

Queensland trainer Tony Brett has the seven-time winner in his kennel for this series and also has the other South Australian star, Sir Truculent, in Thursday night's $100,000-to-the-winner finale.

FIELDS AND FORM ALBION PARK THURSDAY NIGHT

“He is only very young,” Stewart said of Bedrock Fred which turned two in May.

“We have been trying to hold him back for a while but it is just not going to happen.”

Bedrock Fred stepped up to a distance when winning the South Australian Distance Championship over 680m at Murray Bridge in May.

“We then dropped him back to 531m for the Howard Ashton and thought he was very unlucky not to have won that final,” Barber said.

“He got cleaned up at a vital stage.

“So with the Group 1 coming up in Queensland, we decided to throw him into the deep end.

“I approached Tony Brett and he was happy to take him.

“He trialled strongly over 600 metres but then seemed lost in the Chairman's Cup.”

Bedrock Fred then ran third to Maggie Moo Moo in his heat of the Cup last week.

“Maggie Moo Moo is very strong at the finish, but so is our bloke,” he added.

“If he happened to get some luck early and find a spot near the rails, and handy, we don't believe there is anything in the final that could run him down.”

The Barbers will contemplate the Ipswich Grand Prix before bringing Bedrock Fred home to run through the Nationals.

“Then we will look at going to NSW for the Sydney Cup in September,” he said.

“Covid throws plans into disarray.”

Stewart said Cherylee is hoping to be able to fly to Brisbane for Thursday night's final but those plans depend on the always evolving Covid situation.

“Bedrock Fred can only get better with age and more experience over the distance,” Stewart said.

He and Cherylee have a seven month old litter by My Redeemer and Dashing Dee Dee.

GROUP 1 Queensland Cup (710m): 1 Maggie Moo Moo, 2 Classy Ethics, 3 Brockie Magic, 4 Pump It, 5 Sir Truculent, 6 Five Star, 7 Bedrock Fred, 8 Mick's Recall. Res: 9 Zipping Niseko, 10 Smart Lilly.