Waterhouse enters Brisbane carnival

By Glenn Davis

BRISBANE, June 7 AAP - Gai Waterhouse will saddle up her first runners of the Brisbane winter carnival in the Group One Queensland Derby and Group Two Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Waterhouse sent her Queensland Derby (2400m) contender Charing Cross and Tullamore, who will start over the same distance in the Brisbane Cup, to Queensland by float on Tuesday before she departed for overseas.

Waterhouse will be in Sicily for her son Tom's wedding to fiancee Hoda Vakili later this month.

Stable jockey Nash Rawiller will partner Charing Cross in the Queensland Derby while Chris Munce will ride Tullamore in the Brisbane Cup.

Charing Cross booked a start in the Queensland Derby with his last-start third at Randwick on May 28 while Tullamore earned his chance in the north after finishing second to Legsman in the Listed Winter Cup (2400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

"Tullamore has been making steady progress and Chris Munce's local knowledge will be a big asset," Waterhouse said.

"He had every chance in the Winter Cup but I feel he's earned his spot in the Brisbane Cup.

"The penny has only just dropped with him."

Munce has won four Brisbane Cups on Grooming (1992), Desert Chill (1995 and 1997) and last year with Crossthestart.

Waterhouse believed quick back-ups have been the key with Tullamore who has won four of his 18 starts.

"We found backing him up was the key to him," she said.

"He ran second at Gosford in March and we backed him up five days later to win on the Kensington track (at Randwick)."

Waterhouse said Charing Cross, the winner of two of his nine starts, deserved his shot at the Queensland Derby after working his way through restricted grade.

"He's come a long way and he won well on the Kensington track before finishing third on a heavy track at Randwick last start," she said.