It's D-day for last year's Brisbane Cup runner-up Ready To Lift at Eagle Farm on Saturday.Trainer Gerald Ryan has threatened to retire the six-year-old to stud if the mare fails again in the Group Two Eagle Farm Cup (2400m).Only two mares in the past 20 years, Spring Thaw who dead-heated in 1991 and Shuzohra in 1990, have won the Eagle Farm Cup, which was formerly known as the O'Shea Stakes.Ryan was disappointed with Ready To Lift's last-start effort when she was with the backmarkers and failed
It's D-day for last year's Brisbane Cup runner-up Ready To Lift at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Trainer Gerald Ryan has threatened to retire the six-year-old to stud if the mare fails again in the Group Two Eagle Farm Cup (2400m).
Only two mares in the past 20 years, Spring Thaw who dead-heated in 1991 and Shuzohra in 1990, have won the Eagle Farm Cup, which was formerly known as the O'Shea Stakes.
Ryan was disappointed with Ready To Lift's last-start effort when she was with the backmarkers and failed to improve her position to finish second last to Metal Bender in the Group One Doomben Cup (2020m) on May 22.
It was her third run this campaign and her first in Brisbane this winter after failing at her first two starts this preparation in Sydney.
"Her Doomben Cup run was very disappointing. She did nothing," Ryan said.
"She's a handicapper and is not a weight-for-age horse."
Ryan is hoping Ready To Lift can turn her form around in time to confirm a start in the Group Two Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday week.
Ready To Lift came north last winter and only narrowly went down when runner-up to Scenic Shot in the Brisbane Cup.
"If she doesn't win or run well tomorrow she'll be retired immediately," Ryan said.
"But I'm hoping she'll show some improvement as she'll be better suited under handicap conditions."
Ryan believes Ready To Lift faces a daunting task at weight-for-age again on Saturday but can see signs of improvement in the daughter of More Than Ready.
"Her work has improved a lot since the Doomben Cup and it always takes her a while to hit her straps," he said.
"Normally she takes about five or six runs to reach her peak.
"She doesn't have to win this race to go on to the Brisbane Cup but she has to find the line, otherwise it's all over for her."
Ryan was forced to delay Ready To Lift's trip north because of wet tracks in Brisbane.
"She was late getting here but we've had to run her in these weight-for-age races because there's been no other suitable handicap races for her," he said.
Trainer Bryce Revell has his fingers crossed for rain to boost the hopes of Kiwi mare Ekstreme adding her name to the list of mares' winners of the Eagle Farm Cup.
Ekstreme did her best work late to finish sixth in the Doomben Cup following her commanding victory in the Group Two Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on May 1.
Revell, a former jumps rider who won the 1994 Great Eastern Steeple at Oakbank on Touch Judge, is on his second trip to Queensland with Ekstreme.
"It was a good run in the Doomben Cup and this race doesn't look anywhere near as strong," Revell said.
"She's a good doer in the stable and has taken a fair bit of improvement from her last run.
"She's still on the way up and we're expecting a big run but we'd like some rain."