Racing: D-day for Ready To Lift in the Eagle Farm Cup

BRISBANE: It's D-day for last year's Brisbane Cup runner-up Ready To Lift at Eagle Farm today.

Trainer Gerald Ryan has threatened to retire the six-year-old to stud if the mare fails again in the Group Two $250,000 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 June 12. 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 [today] 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 today but can see signs of improvement in the daughter of More Than Ready. "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."

Trainer Bryce Revell has his fingers crossed for rain to boost the hopes of New Zealand 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 still on the way up and we're expecting a big run but we'd like some rain."

- AAP