Pluck 3yo Mongolian Wolf has firmed into $7 for the Queensland Derby-Gr.1 (2200m) after an impressive gallop at Coleraine on Tuesday morning.

Now with Darren Weir after starting his career in New Zealand, Mongolian Wolf was on trial for a trip north after failing at Caulfield on May 13.  “I think he will bounce back,” Weir claimed after the hit-out.  “He’s been really good for the last 10 days and I’m happy to be putting him on the plane and having a crack.”

Stablemate Volatile Mix is $4.60 pre-post favourite for the Queensland Derby following his first classic victory in the South Australian Derby-Gr.1 last month.

Mongolian Wolf (3g Pluck – Oomaroo by Tale Of The Cat) will fly to Brisbane on Wednesday night and will be ridden by Damian Lane at Doomben.  He was placed in the Avondale Guineas-Gr.2 prior to crossing the Tasman and looked a stayer of the future winning the Frank Packer Plate-Gr.3 first-up for Weir at Randwick in April.

“He’s a class horse and this will be his grand final this prep,” Weir added.  “Taking up a forward position at Caulfield last time was probably the wrong way to ride him.  We should have let him lob along at the back and then run home.”

Queensland Derby Betting:  $4.60 Volatile Mix, $5 Order Again, $7 Mongolian Wolf, Shocking Luck, Ruthven, $13 Black On Gold, Violate, $15 bar

Pluck (USA) won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs and is currently 7th on the Australian second-season table with the winners of 30 races and prizemoney over $1.02 million.

Leading colt Aspect won the Maribyrnong Plate-Gr.3 at Flemington in November and his fillies Lucky Louie and Life On The Wire have also earned black-type this season.  Gasoline headed his Kiwi contingent winning at Ellerslie and being stakes-placed at Matamata before transferring to clients of Hong Kong trainer Kenny Man.

Pluck will stand alongside his sire More Than Ready for a $9,900 (inc. GST) service fee at Vinery this year.