Shenzhou Steeds has eye on Sunshine Coast Guineas

The Brisbane winter carnival is far from over for trainer Mike Moroney who hopes Shenzhou Steeds can maintain his unblemished record for the stable at Doomben on Wednesday.

Shenzhou Steeds, who lines up in the Darley Australia Handicap (1615m), made a big impression when winning by almost five lengths at his first start for Moroney at Caloundra on June 5.

Shenzhou Steeds was previously trained by New Zealand's Tony Pike at Cambridge and was bought on the advice of Moroney's brother Paul after the gelding finished fourth on a heavy track at Arawa Park on May 7.

"Paul spotted him the day he won his maiden a couple of months ago and we thought then he was was good enough to bring over here," Moroney said.

"We think he'll make a nice stayer later on and I haven't ruled out giving him a chance in the spring in Melbourne.

"But it's more likely he'll spell up here and get ready for the summer races in Melbourne."

Moroney is confident Shenzhou Steeds can make a successful transition to city racing and has pencilled in the Listed Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) at Caloundra next month at his main winter target.

"He'll probably need to win this race tomorrow to get into the Guineas field," Moroney said.

"It's a big jump in class for him but his form in New Zealand was good and he's a nice horse on the way up.

"He's been over the distance before in New Zealand and he should be hard to beat."

Moroney has 14 horses still in work at Caloundra and has more firepower to come for the remainder of the winter carnival.

"I won't have an Ipswich Cup runner on Saturday but I've got Viking Hero getting ready for the Tatt's Cup and Tinseltown for the Caloundra Cup," he said.

Viking Hero was runner-up in last month's Group Three Chairman's Handicap at Doomben before failing at his past two performances in the Group Three Premier's Cup at Doomben on May 28 and Group Two Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm last Saturday.

Tinseltown has started only twice in Brisbane this winter when runner-up to Shuffle The Cash in the Premier's Cup before a battling sixth to Tullamore in the Brisbane Cup.

AAP