Maloney burns off rivals to cash in at Doomben

Ryan Maloney got dumped off his horse before the previous race, but got back in the saddle to cash in quickly when he scored the Darby McCarthy QTIS 3YO (1110m) at Doomben.

The star Brisbane jockey came off late scratching Win Star before the Bill Carter Stakes as the filly was scratched and Maloney emerged unharmed.

Only 35 minutes later, the keen fisherman hooked a terrific win with Jack Bruce-trained gelding Earn To Burn scooting home to the cheers of punters who backed him from $3 into $2.60.

Tony Gollan’s resuming filly Foreign Press ($7) had a sweet run and loomed ominously along the inside but Earn To Burn had a head of steam up and was too good.

It was a magic moment for Bruce who was delighted to have a winner on Group 1 Doomben Cup day.

Bruce, who learned his craft when spending significant time as an assistant for top trainers like Bjorn Baker and Ciaron Maher, has now been training in the Sunshine State for four years.

Earn To Burn was last seen finishing runner-up behind Akaysha in the Mick Dittman Plate on a heavy track and he won well at Doomben on Saturday, although not everything went right.

“Ryan Maloney has got a lot of confidence in this horse and he always has done,” Bruce said.

“He just suits him so well because he’s a free flowing horse, and you’ve just got to judge the horse underneath you and not be too pinned down to a speed map or where you want to be.

“Today was just a perfect example of that.

“He got him in the right spot from the wrong spot, just by riding him on feel.

“To see him be able to overcome a bit of adversity today, I think is probably the icing on the cake for his preparation.”

Maloney has now ridden Earn To Burn the past six times and said he was glad for continuing support from connections, even though things hadn’t always gone to plan.

“He’s just been hindered with bad tracks at times,” Maloney said.

“He ran well last start, but his wheels were just spinning on the heavy track.”

Article published on Racenet on Saturday 23rd May 2026 - https://www.racenet.com.au/amp/news/2026-darby-mccarthy-qtis-3yo-earn-to-burn-wins-for-jockey-ryan-maloney-and-trainer-jack-bruce-20260523