Smart mare Etana is set to continue the Ciaron Maher-David Eustace stable’s run of success in Queensland stakes races.

Etana will be joined by stablemate Mask Of Time in the Listed Wayne Wilson Memorial Mile (1600m).

The Wilson Mile is named after the late racecaller Wayne Wilson who died in 2014 after a long battle with cancer.

The race is usually run at Eagle Farm or Doomben but due to the winter carnival being reshaped because of coronavirus restrictions it is being held at the Sunshine Coast.

The restrictions have also seen Queensland running two metropolitan race meetings on a Friday and Saturday with the Sunshine Coast having half the feature races and the Gold Coast the other half.

Maher and Eustace have been great supporters of the Queensland carnivals, winning Group One races such as the Stradbroke Handicap and Tatts’ Tiara with Srikandi, the Doomben Cup (Kenedna) and Queensland Derby (Ruthven).

This season has also been good for them in Queensland with wins in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (Away Game), Listed Calaway Stakes (Away Game) and Listed Phelan Ready Stakes (Rathlin).

Etana is on her third trip to Queensland and opened her her winter mission with a solid third over 1400m at the Sunshine Coast three weeks ago.

The mare has a good Queensland record and as a three-year-old she won the Group Two Doomben Roses before pulling up sore when well beaten in the Group One Queensland Oaks.

Etana was back in Queensland in January and won the Magic Millions Quality before having one run in the Sydney autumn for an eighth in the Parramatta Cup at Rosehill on February 22.

Annabel Neasham, who runs the Maher-Eustace partnership’s Sydney stable, said Etana had continued to do well since her initial Queensland run this campaign.

“She appears to have gone on with it and we were very happy with the first up run,” Neasham said.

“Stepping up to 1600m will be a help and she is down on the minimum weight here which is handy for a Group Two winner.

“We always planned to give her three runs this time and from Friday she will probably head to the Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) at Doomben in a fortnight.”

Group-winning mare Etana has arrived in Queensland from Sydney to begin her winter carnival campaign at the Sunshine Coast.

Etana opens her winter mission in Saturday’s Open Handicap (1400m) and meets a strong field of local horses.

The mare, who is trained by the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace partnership, has been to Queensland twice before with mixed success.

As a three-year-old she won the Group Two Doomben Roses before pulling up sore when well beaten in the Group One Queensland Oaks during the winter.

Etana was back in Queensland in January and won the Magic Millions Quality on January 11.

She has had one run since then for an eighth in the Parramatta Cup at Rosehill on February 22.

Annabel Neasham, who runs the Maher/Eustace partnership’s Sydney stable, said Etana had been in Queensland for several days to fit in with interstate travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.

“She appears to have travelled well and she has won twice at 1400 metres. Etana will probably have three runs in Queensland,” Neasham said.

“After Saturday she will go to the Wayne Wilson Mile (May 15) and then probably the Chairman’s Handicap (May 30).

“They seem to be the right type of races for her.”

Mark Du Plessis will ride Etana who has drawn barrier four.

The Maher/Eustace team has also accepted with Quality Seeker in the Light Horse Brigade Handicap (2200m) at the Gold Coast on Friday.

Quality Seeker won two races impressively in Brisbane before a last-start fifth at Doomben when he had excuses.

“Nothing went right for him at Doomben. He had to be resaddled at the barriers and then had to be replated on both front feet,” Neasham said.

“Then he pulled up lame. He had really run his race before the start.”

Apprentice Alex Patis will claim 3kg on Quality Seeker meaning he will carry 54kg, 6.5 kg less than he had at Doomben.

“There wasn’t much else around for him but this should suit,” Neasham said.

The Maher/Eustace stable has already won four feature races in Queensland this season headed by Away Game’s win in the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January.

Working over 800 metres with stablemate Etana, Cellsabeel sat off the mare before drawing level and edging her out over the final stages, running home her last 600 metres in 35.14 seconds.

“She gave me a nice feel. She was working with a really good partner who is quite sharp and in good form,” Berry said.

“I’m really happy with the filly. She is coming along well and she will benefit from the run, which is a good thing because it’s obviously not her grand final.”

Cellsabeel will have her next start in the Silver Slipper at Rosehill next Saturday as she bids to bolster her prize money for Golden Slipper qualification.

She was a short-priced favourite for the Inglis Millennium last weekend but when the race was pushed back four days due to the wet weather, trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace scratched her.

Stable representative Annabel Neasham said the delay put too much pressure on her autumn schedule.

“We were just about managing it OK with the original date but the Silver Slipper has always been the target and we didn’t want to run her 10 days before it,” Neasham said.

“That was just what she needed today and it will bring her on.”

The Group Two Silver Slipper (1100m) is at Rosehill on Saturday.

It’s the middle of summer but co-trainer Ciaron Maher is already thinking of the winter with Etana after she won the Magic Millions Quality.

Etana ($3.90), bounced back from a costly defeat at the Gold Coast a week earlier when she defeated Reckless Choice, the $3.50 favourite, by 2-1/2 lengths, with Testashadow ($10) a short neck away third.

Maher and his training partner David Eustace enjoyed immense success at last year’s winter carnival with Kenedna and is keen to target black-type races with Etana this year.

“She really thrives when she gets to Queensland. I’m reluctant to take her home, she likes it that much,” Maher said.

“She takes awhile to hit form so I’ll see what else is around. She likely have another run but we’ll target some better races with her in the winter carnival.”

Maher was prepared to forgive the mare’s defeat in The Wave (1800m) at the Gold Coast last week when she finished fifth as favourite to A Man To Match.

“She didn’t get the nicest run last week but things panned out much better for her today,” he said.

“Luke controlled the race from when he wanted to roll into the race and put the pressure on.”

Currie had travelling Etana comfortably before the mare loomed up ominously on the home turn.

“It got a bit messy last week but today things worked out perfectly,” Currie said.

“They went at a good clip, I was able to get to the outside and she was far too good for them.”

Currie also detected an improvement in the mare’s demeanour on Saturday, compared to her previous run.

“She was nice and kind on the way to the start and I felt she paraded really well so I was pretty confident when she walked into the gates.”

Jockey John Allen and training partners Ciaron Maher and David Eustace completed a memorable Doomben Cup day when Etana landed a confident betting move to win the Group Two The Roses.

Forty minutes after the trio celebrated their Doomben Cup win with Kenedna they were back in the winner’s circle when Etana ($3.90) won The Roses by a long head.

Aliferous ($12) stormed home to finish second with Welsh Legend ($13) three quarters of a length away third.

Etana was bought by Maher for $400,000 at the Magic Millions yearling sales in 2017 and enhanced her value immeasurably following Saturday’s win.

“I got stuck with a piece of her and it’s quite expensive but there’s nothing like winning a bit of black-type with a filly so she might be worth something near what I paid for her,” Maher said.

“We gave her a bit of time between runs and set her for this carnival. We weren’t quite sure whether she’d stay but she’s a beautiful clean-winded filly.”

Etana was heavily backed from $4.60 into $3.90 when betting commenced after as much as $9 was available with TAB Fixed Odds early on Saturday morning.

The daughter of Cox Plate winner Shamus Award is now the $6 equal favourite, slashed from $26, for the Group One Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Doomben on June 1.

“She put the writing on the wall last start at the Gold Coast and she’s backed it up today,” Maher said.

“I couldn’t be happier with her going towards the Oaks. She still looks like she needs to furnish even now.

“We’ve waited as long as we could to get a bit of black type because she needed the time and what can I say about this track – I love it.”

Scarlet Dream has drifted from $4.80 to $6 for the Oaks and is by no means a certain starter after trainer Mark Newham expressed doubts about her ability to handle Doomben.