3 minute read
Promising sprinter Finsceal is ineligible for the Magic Millions Guineas but that won’t stop trainer Tom Button rolling the dice and having a go at the $2 million feature if the gelding is successful at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Finsceal will be chasing his second win from four starts when Jim Byrne is legged up in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1600 metres.
Button has declared Finsceal the best horse he has trained during his brief career and believes the son of Irish shuttle stallion Territories is up to a feature win.
Finsceal won on debut at the Sunshine Coast in June before beating two home in a 1200-metre two-year-old race at Eagle Farm in July.
He then came from near last in a small field of six to just fail behind the Robert Heathcote-trained Release The Beans at his first start over 1400 metre as a three-year-old at Eagle Farm on August 21.
"Gypsy Toff is probably the best horse I've trained but I think Finsceal is better," Button said.
"He was just beaten last run by a tougher horse on the day who has now won four of his five starts.
"I think he's going to very hard to beat again and if he does, I might give him a break and look at the Magic Millions Guineas in January."
Button paid $120,000 for Finsceal at the Ready To Run sales at the Gold Coast.
"He was a good style of horse and breezed up really well and I thought he was nearly the best to go through the breeze ups," he said.
"Unfortunately, he was never paid up for the Magic Millions so if he goes to the Magic Millions Guineas next year, he'll have to win a wildcard race somewhere."
Button has named the Heathcote-trained Sergeant Silva as the main threat to Finsceal.
The 3YO is chasing a hattrick of wins after scoring twice at the Sunshine Coast last month and will also clash with stablemate Duchess Of Rothesay.
Heathcote finds it hard to separate his pair as Duchess Of Rothesay is coming off a maiden win at the Gold Coast on August 21.
"There's a few similarities with both these horses as I trained both their mothers," he said.
"I had considerable success with Duchess Rothesay's mother Treatmelikealady while Sergeant Silva's mother Hallmark Star was an exciting galloper.
"She won three races in a row before hurting a tendon later on which finished her career."
