Sydney visitor Black Prince made a successful hit-and-run raid to score a narrow victory in the Ferrier Hodgson Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.Jumping from barrier 16, the five-year-old showed blistering pace to lead all the way for a long head win over the fast-finishing Eire Of Magic in the $100,000 1200-metre sprint with Bold Glance the same margin away third.Trainer Joseph Pride, whose biggest Queensland win was with Red Oog in the 2005 Group One Doomben 10,000, had planned to come north b
Sydney visitor Black Prince made a successful hit-and-run raid to score a narrow victory in the Ferrier Hodgson Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Jumping from barrier 16, the five-year-old showed blistering pace to lead all the way for a long head win over the fast-finishing Eire Of Magic in the $100,000 1200-metre sprint with Bold Glance the same margin away third.
Trainer Joseph Pride, whose biggest Queensland win was with Red Oog in the 2005 Group One Doomben 10,000, had planned to come north but was a late casualty after being struck down by the `flu.
Part-owner Liam Tansey believed the decision to remove blinkers and use winkers for the first time on the Commands gelding was a masterstroke from Pride.
"We tried him in blinkers but he resented them and the alley was always our biggest worry," Tansey said.
"He'll go back to Sydney and will then come back for the George Moore Stakes."
The Group Three George Moore Stakes (1200m) is in two weeks and is the first leg of the Doomben summer series.
Winning jockey Jim Byrne said Black Prince was able to lead easily without being bustled in the early stages.
"He's very quick but I didn't rush him early," Byrne said.
"He got an easy lead for the first 1000 metres and managed to get away with an easy sectional midway through the race."
The eye-catching run of the race came from Tamworth sprinter The Jackal who finished sixth, only a length away, after being with tailenders on the home turn.
Meanwhile, trainer Brian Smith will recommend against a Villiers Stakes start in Sydney next month for former Kiwi mare Jasminka despite her narrow win in The Qpay Handicap (1600m).
Jasminka gave her supporters heart flutters when she reared and flipped jockey Larry Cassidy out of the saddle before being cleared to start and recording a short neck win over Currumbin Rock.
Jasminka is part-owned by former champion jockey Mick Dittman who is keen to send the four-year-old south for the Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on December 19.
"If she was mine I wouldn't be travelling her now. She's a good mare and I'd wait until the big mares' races in Sydney in the autumn and then come back here for the winter carnival," Smith said.
"It's very hot at this time of the year and mares can do funny things in the heat.
"She played up and reared in the barriers today and maybe it was because of the heat."
Smith has a big opinion of Jasminka who claimed her second wins from three starts for the Eagle Farm trainer.
Jasminka began her career in New Zealand with Shaun Ritchie who sent her to Sydney last spring after placings at Listed level in the Breeders Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka and Ryder Stakes (1200m) at Foxton in July last year.
Jasminka had a few injury issues while in Sydney, starting only once when sixth to star filly Samantha Miss in the Group Three Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm in August last year.