Saturday’s Eye Liner Stakes, to be run at Ipswich, is a tribute Eye Liner, the Queensland champion, among one of the very best fillies we have known.

The Ipswich Racing Club has remembered her, yet she has never received the accolades that she was fully entitled to.

Handicappers of that era, back in the sixties, did little to protect good horses, they continued to pour the weight onto her, while she kept winning there was no relief.

Eye Liner won nine races in succession as a two year old, besides her first win she started at odds on in the other eight.

Bookmakers took no risks with her; she was almost unbackable with punters, it was a case of odds on look on.

She raced over three successive weeks, with no less than 60 kgs in the Daandine Handicap at Eagle Farm, she was weighted with 69 kgs (10 stone 12), more weight than Carbine and Phar Lap ever carried, and more than half a kg than the great Bernborough carried when he won the Doomben Cup.

It didn’t take long before she reached the lead; the weight meant little to her, she won easing up by five length, as has been said,”she could have gone around again.”

Reisling beat the colts fair and square in the Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill, and was fit and ready to serve it up to them again in the Champagne Stakes at Randwick.

When word came through that Eye Liner was coming down from Brisbane for the Champagne, and Citius would remain in Sydney, this would be the answer to a promoters dream, the three best fillies out of their respective capitol cities.

Whilst Eye Liner had endured a hard campaign under big weights she did have some advantage, it would be just the second time she was racing under set weights.

Reisling set a cracking pace out in front, Eye Liner was not far away, nor was Citius, there was daylight between the trio and the other three starters.

Eye Liner scored by a neck from Reisling, Citius was a half neck further away third.

Waller to make Decision

Chris Waller will make a decision, after he arrives in the UK, concerning which race Brazen Beau will contest.

The colt is entered for the King Stand Stakes on Wednesday and the Diamond Jubilee on Saturday, both races at Royal Ascot.

If he runs in the King Stand, Joao Moreira will certainly ride the colt, but would not be available for the Diamond Jubilee as he has firm commitments in Hong Kong on Saturday.

Waller will not make any decision until he sees the horse that is stabled at Newmarket.

Craig Williams looks to be in the driver’s seat if the decision is made to run in the Diamond Jubilee, he has ridden the colt previously which is a huge advantage.

Big deal for British Racing.

A deal believed to be worth in excess of $100 million, has been lauded as the biggest in British racing history.

Following the announcement that Qipco has extended its backing of the British Champion’s Day with the Newmarket Guineas Festival and Ascot until 2024.

With that news, and the strong possibility of an increase in stake money at Royal Ascot, it would make it more attractive for the invaders from the southern hemisphere.