Mornington trainer Mark Riley hopes to continue a country Cups campaign with gutsy Victorian stayer Gold In Dubai following his all-the-way victory in the Listed Ipswich cup.Gold Dubai was rated perfectly in front by Michael Walker to score by 2-1/4 lengths from the fast-finishing Danagaze in Saturday's 2150-metre feature.Topweight Our Lukas produced a brave performance in his attempt to win three successive Ipswich Cups, finishing a neck away third.Riley, 49, rarely ventures to Queensland but w
Mornington trainer Mark Riley hopes to continue a country Cups campaign with gutsy Victorian stayer Gold In Dubai following his all-the-way victory in the Listed Ipswich cup.
Gold Dubai was rated perfectly in front by Michael Walker to score by 2-1/4 lengths from the fast-finishing Danagaze in Saturday's 2150-metre feature.
Topweight Our Lukas produced a brave performance in his attempt to win three successive Ipswich Cups, finishing a neck away third.
Riley, 49, rarely ventures to Queensland but was always confident the son of Desert Sun was worth the trip north to chase the race's $200,000 prizemoney.
Riley will wait for the release of weights for the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) on July 2 before committing the five-year-old to another Queensland start.
"I'll see how he pulls up first and then look at the weights but I'd like to run him at Caloundra," Riley said.
Riley's father Martin has been looking after Gold In Dubai while in Queensland.
"Dad's been looking after him up here. We brought him out of retirement to do it," Riley said.
The father and son team was thrilled with Gold In Dubai's win but it paled into insignificance compared to their Group One-winning feats in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield.
"Dad trained Mistress Anne to win an Oakleigh Plate and I did the same with Mookta," Mark Riley said.
"It's a great thrill to win this race and there's every chance if he runs at Caloundra that we might try for the Grafton Cup on the way home."
Riley praised Walker for putting him on the right track with Gold In Dubai.
"Michael rode him about five runs back in a sprint race and said then he thought he was a stayer," Riley said.
"He's partly responsible for us being here."
Riley said Walker carried out his instructions perfectly on Gold In Dubai whose recent transformation to a middle distance was helped by many long days doing beach work.
"The plan was to go forward and lead or get on the outside of the leader," Riley said.
"Dean Yendall rode him a few times and was offered the ride here today but he decided to ride at home."
Trainer Lawrie Mayfield-Smith was proud of Danagaze's effort but won't seek a rematch with Gold In Dubai in the Caloundra cup.
"I'm happy. I thought he was one run short and he was," Mayfield-Smith said.
"He's not seasoned enough yet but he's learnt to settle and will run 2400 metres.
"He can't handle the wet or even a dead track so I might put him away now and get him ready for the spring."