Queensland’s biggest race-day is upon us, with the added complexity that comes with the unveiling of a new Eagle Farm track that was rain-affected enough to call off a meeting last week, but has since been baked by a week of sun.
The Stradbroke is the feature, almost always producing a memorable race, and usually a winner at big odds.
The recent weight-for-age performers in the field that have to carry more weight than the rest are Black Heart Bart up the top, Delectation, Malaguerra, Music Magnate and Azkadellia.
» Horse racing on The Roar
» 2016 Melbourne Cup
» Australian racing calendar for 2016
» The Roar’s Top 50 racehorses in Australian history
» Re-live Black Caviar’s astonishing career
Black Heart Bart is the form horse in Australia, taking his show on the road across the racing states, and has earned his 58kgs, 4.5kgs more than he carried in the race last year when running last.
Music Magnate graduated to the big leagues in taking out the Doomben 10,000 with an explosive turn of foot, accounting for Azkadellia, who will be better for the run but meets him 1kg worse for it. How will the form turn out of a race that was unlike most we’ve ever seen?
Charlie Boy ran well in third there and drops an appreciable 4.5kgs, but consistency isn’t his forte. Delectation is improving with every run, but will need to be to take this out.
Hooked and Two Blue were part of the crazy speed battle in the Doomben 10,000, carving out hectic opening sectionals, and could bounce back at big odds carrying low weights.
Malaguerra comes into this off a month freshen from his BTC Cup win, but is up to 56kgs quickly in this sort of race. The talent is certainly there, and he doesn’t mind a scrap. Sacred Star needs to show more than he did in that race, but can’t be the worst 50-1 shot to ever hit the track.
The form behind Black Heart Bart makes for interesting reading, particularly at the weights and the odds.
Charmed Harmony meets him 3.5kg’s better for being narrowly run down in the Victoria Handicap three back, but has flopped badly when going clockwise in the past, including last start.
Under The Louvre has been running placings in Group 1 company for what feels like forever, and meets Black Heart Bart 2kgs better for running him to half a length in the Goodwood last start. There are question marks over whether he is at his most powerful at the end of 1400m.
Counterattack and Takedown have Japonisme form, which ties them favourably into Malaguerra and indirectly through Black Heart Bart and several other main chances. Both three year olds will relish the light weights they’ve been allotted, but should probably be closer in the odds.
Precious Gem deserves her chance in a race of this profile, coming off a Group 1 win of her own, and will run better than her 50-1 quote suggests if the month between runs is no issue.
Kaepernick creates interest as the Hawkes runners often do, but has failed tougher tests than this when fancied, but looks a more mature and powerful galloper now. Artlee is in a similar boat, lightly raced for a five year old, and gets significant weight relief after performing respectably at WFA behind the likes of Fell Swoop and Malaguerra.
It’s a flat disgrace that a horse like The Virginian is allowed in the field.
Selections: 1.Music Magnate 2.Takedown 3.Artlee 4.Under the Louvre
The Queensland Derby is one of the support features on the Stradbroke card, a $600,000 Group 1 over 2400m for the three year old stayers.
The Grand Prix is always the key lead-up race, and this year is no exception the trifecta from that race occupying the first three positions in betting after less than half a length covered them across the line.
SA Derby winner Howard Be Thy Name holds favouritism currently, off the back off a tempo-affected third in the Grand Prix. Mackintosh took the race out, his third win in a row after assuming an on-pace position, which he’ll do again from barrier five.
We should get used to Weir v Waller in these sort of races, masters of placing their horses to advantage and holding them back from the stronger Group 1’s if they’re not up to it.
Eagle Way split Howard Be Thy Name and Mackintosh after being flushed out earlier than ideal, and he looks to be craving every bit of the extra 200m he’ll be afforded in this.
Eschiele was another eye-catcher, coming from the tail for a closing fourth, and the question for him is whether even 2400m is long enough. Brazen continues to run honestly but lacking that class edge at this level.
Etymology ran second in the SA Derby behind Howard Be Thy Name, but hasn’t had the bridging run in between like that colt. He’s a player, but will jump from the widest gate.
Encosta Line and Rodrico are coming in off city wins down in Sydney, the former much more impressive, and also dominant over the latter two back. Waller-Bowman can’t be underestimated.
Selections: 1.Eagle Way 2.Eschiele 3.Howard Be Thy Name 4.Encosta Line
The JJ Atkins is another $600,000 Group 1, for the two year olds over the mile. The Sires Produce at Doomben from a fortnight ago provides over half the field, including the first six in betting.
Attention, from the Snowden yard, was the winner of the key lead-up, and is putting together the classic Queensland two-year-old preparation. He’ll once again put himself in the race from a good barrier and be hard to get passed, and thus makes strong each-way appeal at the $7.
Dreams Aplenty and Nikitas filled the placings behind Attention, but punters have directed their money elsewhere. Nikitas is backing up that second to Capitalist in the Magic Millions. Dreams Aplenty will again try to defy them all from the front, and.
Souchez wasn’t cleanly away and was beaten odds-on favourite, and has filled the bookies bags at his last couple, but doesn’t need much to change to reverse the result. Sacred Elixir motored home from last to be in the busy finish, and has been installed as favourite accordingly with the extra furlong and bigger track sure to be to his liking.
The filly Candika was another to impress and was arguably looking for the mile already. She ran behind Capitalist and Nikitas back in January, peaks now and is ready to win at a value quote.
Further back in the Sires, but not disgraced after being back and wide was Cadogan, who should see a friendlier run after drawing more kindly. His previous win promised better things.
Jaw of Steel and Barbass are bringing metro form of Melbourne and Sydney to the race, and should give a decent account of themselves, and might be capable of springing a surprise if everything goes their way and the Sires Produce form doesn’t hold up.
Team Hawks loves to hit these races with a lightly-raced type, and Redouble is their representative here, albeit coming through the B-form and an awkward jump in distance from 1200m to the mile in three weeks.
Selections: 1.Sacred Elixir 2.Attention 3.Souchez 4.Candika
The Queensland Oaks has been held over from last week’s abandoned Doomben meeting, and last week’s preview still stands, albeit with an expected good track now instead of the anticipated heavy last week.
Selections: 1.Falkenberg 2.Dawnie Perfect 3.Ambience 4.Romantic Maid
Without a Fight completed the rare Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double on Tuesday as star jockey Mark Zahra went back-to-back in the big one after…
The race that stops the nation is upon us again. Every horse in the Melbourne Cup has reasons they can win, and reasons they…
Those who want to have a really big collect on Australia’s greatest race, without risking too much, have to look at the exotic bets.
While most of the attention is on Ciaron Maher and David Eustace's Gold Trip, there's no reason why stablemate Future History cannot upstage him.
Champion jockey Damien Oliver is quietly confident his Melbourne Cup mount Alenquer will be passed fit to give him a farewell ride in the…
Melbourne Cup day is here again, and it’s never anything less than exciting. The Cup itself will of course be full of drama and…
