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Trainer Stu Kendrick is hoping to put a quiet winter carnival behind him as he heads to Ipswich with three starters on Wednesday
Kendrick sits just outside the top 10 with 15 wins in the Brisbane trainers' premiership, two wins adrift of the tenth placed Toby and Trent Edmonds team.
Tony Gollan looks to have his ninth premiership wrapped up with 84 wins, 16 wins clear of second placed Chris Waller, while the Steven O'Dea and Matthew Hoysted stable are third with 54 wins.
Kendrick failed to win one of the 52 Group and Listed races during the TAB Queensland Racing Carnival but was placed with Menazzi in the Listed Daybreak Lover and Group 3 Rough Habit Plate at Eagle Farm.
"We didn't quite have the same ammunition as in past years but Menazzi did a good job with his two placings," Kendrick said.
Kendrick has accepted in two races with promising filly Apple Tart, who has drawn barrier three, in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Benchmark 65 Handicap and gate 11 in the Rating Band 0-68 Handicap.
"She'll go around in the QTIS race where she's drawn better," Kendrick said.
Apple Tart, a daughter of Sebring, has started 11 times for two wins and five placings and is coming off a last start fifth to the Matt Dunn-trained Subterranean in the Cooney over 1350 metres on Ipswich Cup day.
"I was a bit disappointed with her last run as we thought she'd give us more the way she had been working," Kendrick said.
"She didn't track up as good as I had hoped, that's why I've decided to put blinkers back on her.
"She's probably my best chance at Ipswich as she's back to mid-week grade and has the claim for Kyle Wilson-Taylor."
Apple Tart was a $70,000 buy at the 2020 Inglis Classic sale in Sydney after she was sold by Sengenhoe Stud for $60,000 at the Magic Millions national weanling sale at the Gold Coast the previous year.
The Ipswich track is rated a Heavy 10 but Apple Tart showed her liking for the wet winning her only start on a heavy surface against two-year-old opposition at Doomben in April last year.
Kendrick also has Isshegrey entered for the QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden Handicap over 1350 metres in which stable mate Perfect Night Out is second emergency while Allberin lines up in the Maiden Handicap over 1609 metres.
Kendrick is on track to claim his ninth Sunshine Coast trainers' premiership this season.
"We've been here at Caloundra nine and a half years. We didn't win the first premiership but we've won every one since," he said.
