The Archer winner looks for black type success at Eagle Farm.

Saturday’s $200,000 Listed Ascot Green Lough Neagh Stakes (1300m) at Eagle Farm has attracted lots of interest for varying reasons, and from a Central Queensland perspective the highlight will be the return to racing by 2024 The Archer winner Namazu.

Although it’s raced over Namazu’s pet distance the Lough Neagh Stakes is a tough affair and bookmakers have the Rockhampton star at juicy double-figure odds for the feature. Trainer Ricky Vale has engaged Ron Stewart to ride the big son of Medaglia DÓro in the galloper’s first up assignment.

Namazu has two local barrier trials under his belt, being placed twice in the hit outs over 900m, but the seven-year-old hasn’t raced since August after his run in the Townsville Cup 200m) went pear-shaped at the start of the race.

Prior to that he wasn’t beaten all that far in the Rockhampton Cup (1600m) and you only need go back a few more runs to when he won his most important race, the $775,000 Archer (1300m) at Rocky’s Callaghan Park. His Archer win in late April at weight-for-age was enormous with jockey Ash Butler controlling the speed from the front to beat the classy Lavish Empire and Mishani Sniper. At his race leading into The Archer, Namazu shouldered a massive 68kg to win an Open Handicap over 1300m in Mackay.

Vale is certain to have Namazu spot on first up. He has finished in the prizemoney five times from 10 first-up attempts, with most of his wins on good tracks, so the Eagle Farm track will play a role in how he performs.

Prince Of Boom is an interesting runner in the Lough Neagh. He is the gelding that nipped off the index finger of top Brisbane jockey Jim Orman earlier this week. Orman was removing a tongue tie from the six-year-old winner of $1.2m after riding trackwork when the mishap took place at trainer Rob Heathcote’s Eagle Farm stables. X-rays also revealed a distal phalanx fracture to Orman’s partially severed finger. Orman could be sidelined for several weeks after having successful surgery on Tuesday morning. Vlad Duric will replace him in the saddle. Prince Of Boom finished third in the Group 3 George Moore Stakes (1200m) at his most recent start a fortnight ago.  Heathcote will also saddle impressive last start Tatt’s Classic (1200m) winner, four-year-old mare Abounding (Martin Harley). Abounding is the $2.80 race favourite.

WALSH AND MCCONACHY SADDLING UP EAGLE FARM FAVOURITES

Two other Callaghan Park trainers have favoured runners at Eagle Farm.

Nick Walsh has two, the in-form speedster Hell and the promising Bigcat while Jamie McConachy will start last start city winner Cherry Rose.

Hell is shooting for its fifth win in a row and has drawn the coveted number 1 barrier. The Hellbent four-year-old, raced by the One Syndications ownership group has progressed nicely through the grades and has been dominant leading throughout at his last couple of wins. Since completing a fabulous Doomben double and winning at Eagle Farm  during August, October and November, Hell won a barrier trial at Callaghan Park, late last month and he looked mighty sharp. It seems as the races get tougher Hell is getting better and Walsh and Syndicate manager Brandon Diplock are confident he is up to this task. With 2kg claiming apprentice Emily Lang to ride, Hell will be sent out as the race favourite. The Rocky speedster’s two main dangers both come from the powerful Tony Gollan stable. Busting and Payline are on the second line of betting.

Lang will also partner with Walsh’s Bigcat who seeks to win its fourth race in a row. Bigcat will run in the Class 3 Plate over 1400m. His three consecutive wins in Rockhampton have been impressive and a fortnight ago the Brazen Beau gelding streeted the locals to win a Class 2 Handicap (1200m) in a time that was fractionally outside Our Boy Malachi’s 12-year-old Rockhampton class record.

With five wins and two seconds from just seven race starts Jamie McConachy’s four-year-old mare Cherry Rose graduated to city class late last month to win a BM78 Handicap (1100m) by 2.3 lengths. The daughter of Press Statement was ridden by Justin Stanley that day and he is again in the saddle for the Eagle Farm assignment. Bookies must have thought a lot of the Doomben win as they have installed Cherry Rose as the $1.95 favourite for the BM78 (1200m). Cherry Rose’s previous victories have been at Yeppoon’s Keppel Park and Rockhampton’s Callaghan Park.

• David Aldred RJC CEO