Kris Lees had a hunch waiting for this Saturday’s Ipswich Cup was going to be the right move with Luncies and it only took one look at the Q22 to ram home that it was the right call.
That 2200-metre Group 2 was won in devastating fashion by another import, Fawkner Park.
Forgoing a crack at that $1.2 million event leaves him fresh to tackle the $250,000 Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m).
Luncies has run fifth at his two starts this campaign, most recently in the Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup (1800m), and Lees is confident he is ready to peak at his next two starts.
“He seems in good order, we considered today but I thought dropping him back a peg might be beneficial,” Lees said from Eagle Farm on Saturday.
“I think he’d have run well today but I thought next week is probably the softer of the two.
“He’ll probably got from there to Caloundra. This looks a nice progression for him.”
The $300,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) will be run at the Sunshine Coast on July 6.
Luncies is the highest-rated of 19 nominations for the Ipswich Cup, with distant Q22 runner-up Knight’s Choice and defending champion Regal Lion among his potential rivals.
Luncies won the Group 3 Tatt’s Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm the start after finishing second to Without A Fight in last year’s Lord Mayor’s Cup, but Saturday will be his first look at the tight Ipswich track.
“He’s raced well when he’s been to various tracks, he got around Canterbury OK (and) Hawkesbury, so he’ll be right,” Lees said.
The Ipswich Cup is one of three Black Type races on Ipswich’s big day of the Winter Carnival, joined by the Eye Liner Stakes (1350) and Gai Waterhouse Classic (1200m), which are both $200,000 events at Listed level.