Leading Queensland Derby aspirant Shootoff will be tested against older horses in the Lord Mayor's Cup on Saturday before he heads north for the Classic.The Graeme Rogerson-trained gelding is $10 second favourite with TAB Sportsbet for the Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11 behind Peck ($6) from the Darley operation.There were 20 entries for the $100,000 Lord Mayor's Cup (1900m) at Canterbury headed by dual Group One winner Vision And Power.Shootoff's two wins from his 12 starts have both be
Leading Queensland Derby aspirant Shootoff will be tested against older horses in the Lord Mayor's Cup on Saturday before he heads north for the Classic.
The Graeme Rogerson-trained gelding is $10 second favourite with TAB Sportsbet for the Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11 behind Peck ($6) from the Darley operation.
There were 20 entries for the $100,000 Lord Mayor's Cup (1900m) at Canterbury headed by dual Group One winner Vision And Power.
Shootoff's two wins from his 12 starts have both been on soft tracks, including the Group Three Frank Packer Plate (2000m) last Saturday week.
"He came through the Packer Plate really well and the plan is to run in the Lord Mayor's Cup and then have one more run in Brisbane before the Derby," Rogerson's Sydney foreman Roger Elliott said.
"It seems as if the track won't dry out before Saturday which will suit him.
"But it won't suit our other runner Barlagarney. He needs it dry."
Brenton Avdulla will ride Shootoff if Graeme Begg decides not to run Pagan Princess while Peter Wells has been booked for Barlagarney.
Shootoff finished third in dead heat with Praecido in the Group One Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) in October prompting Victoria Derby aspirations from the stable.
But it all proved a bit soon for the son of 2005 Derby runner-up Duelled who stands at Rogerson's Dormello Stud in New Zealand.
He finished ninth in the Flemington Classic, a long way from the winner Lion Tamer who finished 6-1/2 lengths in front of runner-up Praecido.
Rogerson, who operates stables on both sides of the Tasman, is expecting to bring up to half a dozen horses from New Zealand for the Brisbane carnival, bolstered by representatives from the Sydney arm of his business.
Voice Commander, winner of the recent Queanbeyan Cup, is also entered for Canterbury as well as Friday's Wagga Wagga Gold Cup as is fellow Canberra galloper Lebrechaun and the Chris Waller-trained Beijing Boy.
Rhyno Chaser, who has a new home with David Fromberg at Cessnock, has been entered for three races at Canterbury including the feature.
A stakes winner at two and three in the care of Kevin Moses, Rhyno Chaser has since been trained by Rogerson and Wanda Ings before his latest move.
Problem plagued Empires Choice, winner of the 2007 Queensland Derby, has also been entered for the Lord Mayor's Cup.
He is another looking for a firm track after he was scratched from Saturday's Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury.