Eye Keep Smiling for Wayne Loader’s slot

THE stage is set for history to repeat itself in the $2.1mil TAB Eureka.

Last year’s inaugural running of the world’s richest race was won by a four-year-old mare (Encipher) and driven by Luke McCarthy.

Today’s confirmation Eye Keep Smiling will race in Wayne Loader’s TAB Eureka slot gives the race great synergy.

She is a four-year-old mare and will be driven by McCarthy, who also trains her.

“Gee she deserves this,” McCarthy said. “She’s a wonderful mare and we’ve always had our hopes she could get a spot in the TAB Eureka. She’s good enough.”

Eye Keep Smiling’s sparkling victory in last Saturday night’s Group 1 Golden Girl at Albion Park proved a “double win.”

“It wasn’t until after that win we got anything concrete. We’d had a few calls previously, but Wayne Loader said he’d watched this mare since her three-year-old season and was taken her win (in the Golden Girl),” said owner-breeder Jackie Gibson of Success Stud.

“Luke and I had spoken for a while about the TAB Eureka and Luke’s been adamant all along it was a target.

“That was part of the plan in going to Brisbane with her, to try and push her case and impress some slot holders.

“It all feels quite surreal now. I’m so proud of her, of Luke and of all the team involved with my little mare. I’m beyond excited, if that’s even possible.

“I don’t know if things can get any better than this, maybe if she wins, I guess.”

Eye Keep Smiling has raced just 20 times for 13 wins – two at Group 1 level – and four seconds.

“I love that she’s got that history on her side from last year with a mare winning in Encipher and Luke having driven her,” Gibson said.

“And the fact that mares get preferential (barrier) draws is a huge thing. It’s so important to her chances.”

Eye Keep Smiling is the seventh confirmed TAB Eureka runner, leaving just three slots.

She also gives McCarthy a second runner as a trainer, after Don Hugo recently landed John Singleton’s slot.

The other confirmed runners are: Never Ending (Soho Standardbreds), Frankie Ferocious (TAB), The Lost Storm (Aaron Bain Racing & Summit Bloodstock), Captains Knock (Cordina Racing) and Free Thinker (Racing Queensland).

The remaining slot holders are: Team Zav, Kevin and Kay Seymour and Tasracing.