Starting to get our teeth into the Brisbane Winter now the Doomben Cup is upon us. Most of the big
races this week have implications further along with the Doomben Cup a Brisbane Cup lead up,
Champagne Classic for the Sires, Roses for the Oaks and sprints naturally for the big G1s ahead.
Let's find a winner or three.
DOOMBEN CUP (G1)(2020m)
Douro Valley uses similar patterns to his Yalumba win Photo by Bronwen Healy (Recent Winners)
'08 Sarrera
'07 Cinque Cento
'06 Above Deck
'05 Perlin
'04 Defier
From 2002 to 2006 the race was run at 2200m but with the Brisbane Cup downgrade in distance and status, the Doomben Cup has come back in distance as well.
Cinque Cento was the first mare to win in donkey's ages.
Mostly favoured runners have won this which is not surprising at WFA.
Recent winners have mostly been first time G1 winners.
Victorian jockeys have dominated the last four years.
Last 15 Years Queen Elizabeth Stks / Doomben Cup double – Sarrera ('08), Intergaze ('99), Might and Power ('98), Durbridge ('94).
Last 15 Years Hollindale Stks / Doomben Cup double – Above Deck ('06), Bush Padre ('03), Mr Bureaucrat ('02), Might and Power ('98), Danewin ('95), Durbridge ('94).
Last 15 Years Doomben Classic / Doomben Cup double – Akhenaton ('00).
Last 15 Years Chairmans Hcp / Doomben Cup double – Juggler ('96).
Last 15 Years Rosehill Guineas / Doomben Cup double – Danewin ('95).
Last 15 Years Australian Cup / Doomben Cup double – Durbridge ('94).
Last 15 Years Queen of the South / Doomben Cup double – Cinque Cento ('07).
Last 15 Years All Aged Stks / Doomben Cup double – Intergaze ('99).
Last 15 Years BMW Stks / Doomben Cup double – Might and Power ('98).
Last 15 Years Chipping Norton Stks / Doomben Cup double – Juggler ('96).
SUMMARY & SELECTIONS
This is a very strange Doomben Cup. You have several classier G1 winners who have 2000m question marks, a plethora of mares whose gender have a paltry record in the race, some 3yos who are also doubtful given history and a raft of kiwis. I can count only Sir Slick and Douro Valley as winners of 2000+m open age G1s. That's very different from your normal contest of this ilk. Those two horses plus potentially Cape Breton could come over from wide giving cover to the likes of Racing to Win, Triple Honour, Fulmonti and High Cee. The trainers of the top two must have been desperate to draw inside and get cover as they haven't established any mile and quarter form on paper anyway. The horse they need to beat is Douro Valley. James Winks flies back from Hong Kong to be with his mate on whom he combined to win the Yalumba in the Spring over Pompeii Ruler. That was 3rd up and again he is at that pattern plus his favourite 2000m. He wasn't far away in shorter races then tougher grade leading into this and Danny O'Brien has already hit the target in Brisbane with Ballack. You must recognise, no matter what you think of the form out of this year's Hollindale, that that race provides much of the historical formlines and nothing has gone wrong here for Fulmonti as he gets a gun inside draw. The step up in trip is no concern whatsoever as his 2nd in the Brisbane Cup last year showed. One of best roughies here is High Cee. You can imagine Bart has mapped this and the Brisbane Cup as his targets much like another horse carrying the yellow sleeves and chess board. No luck last time in a slowly run race, he was excellent on the line on Anzac Day over a mile and beside him was Ballack that day. Take the $41 if you can get it each way.
Former winner, the grand galloper Intergaze, who won in 1999 Photo by Bronwen Healy (Recent Winners)
'08 Court
'07 Keiki
'06 Gold Edition
'05 Virage de Fortune
'04 Golden Fox
SUMMARY & SELECTIONS
Great honour roll added to by Shamekha, Lovely Jubly, Staging, Flavour, Chief de Beers, Bold Promise and others. Despite this, the G2 level is a tad iffy. Facile Tigre led comfortably at the Gold Coast where most of the form for this race comes and from barrier 4 and all things being equal, it's hard to see that not happening. He held on well and around Doomben he must be a mighty hope. However the Snowden trained Trim was a good thing beaten in the Ken Russell Memorial. Despite drawing gate 5 she was pushed off the track then managed to find rumps in the straight. The draw is a dangerous one but with an ounce of luck, her last furlong should be her best leading into the Sires in a fortnight. The left field horse is Trounce from Sydney. On a slow track, which he may not have handled, he was on pace and only just run down by in form Shellscrape. Will be better for the experience and might be the one outside the leader.
Heavenly Glow kept her Sydney form going in the Roses Photo by Bronwen Healy (Recent Winners)
'08 Heavenly Glow
'07 Lasoron
'06 Gaze
'05 Cinque Cento
'04 Natural Woman
SUMMARY & SELECTIONS
This race produced a little filly called Ethereal in 2001 – bless her cotton socks. There might be G1 win and placed horses here that don't figure at all. The fillies all season have taken turns at winning the big races (aside from Samantha Miss who is not racing anymore). To add to that you have the addition of the NZ gals who seem to be quite a strong bunch. Their filly of the year award was wide open and Daffodil secured that before clearing out at Randwick. However her domination in the AJC Oaks was not replicated back home so they might be pretty good. Without a strong grasp of where they might settle, Purple has the shocking barrier 20 but unless they change, she'll go forward with maybe Jessicabeel and Prix Du Sang sitting in behind. In the Lowland Stks at Trentham, Ekstreme was strong on the line to win and in the process ran over Daffodil. With no luck in the Oaks, she then won a 3yo pipe opener for this easily three weeks ago. Prix Du Sang did a good job to score at the Gold Coast in preparation for this. She also comes here off the 3yo races over the ditch, one of which was the Manawatu Classic, getting over Daffodil and just behind Izonit. Awesome Planet is another of the kiwis who comes here off that fillies series. Always in an around the placings, she was 2.5L off Veloce Bella and Culminate in the G2 Travis for F&M and the former has been well backed in the Doomben Cup.
Former great, Might and Power, won the Doomeben Cup in 1998 Photo by Bronwen Healy Photo by Racing and Sports (Recent Winners)
'08 Helideck
'07 Friday Creek
'06 Hard to Catch
'05 Ballet Society
'04 True Glo
SUMMARY & SELECTIONS
Not much Doomben 10,000 or Stradbroke winning formlines here at any time. Interestingly El Cambio won the 3yo event on the same day last year and now runs topweight in the open grade race. He went to post a close 2nd fav in the Stradbroke in '08 but his conquerors Mr Baritone and Hard to Catch are engaged again here. Horses like Royal Discretion, Masked Assassin, Rockpecker, Court Command, Kiloton & Rasmussen are all on pacers. This could be run at ballistic speed. For that reason let's see if we can find a run on horse. Rightfully Yours had to be pumped along to take up a forward position because of gate one at the Gold Coast. Think the right decision was made with the protest but the race still showed he was going well. Oliver could just camp behind the pressure up front, pull out and win. Rockpecker worked home well off a bit of a break in that PM's Cup and again we see Craig Williams with a nice inside draw as long as he doesn't get swamped from the ones out wide looking for a spot. Freely admit that Kiloton was advantaged by that horrendously leader biased surface at Rosehill on 2 May but it was the way he did it. This distance is perfect for him and he won't have to work hard from gate 4. Tye Angland rode him well last time and gets another chance.
El Cambio won the 3yo Classic in '08 and is topweight in the Sprint in '09 Photo by Racing and Sports (Recent Winners)
'08 El Cambio
'07 Gold Edition
'06 La Montagna
'05 Gumnuts
'04 Gallieni
SUMMARY & SELECTIONS
The old Courier Mail Classic which used to kick off the carnival. Last three winners are pretty hot stuff. This year's edition looks a little disappointing. Not a great deal of depth and the better class of horses have some foibles. We are going to give Desuetude one last chance at redemption. He looked so promising in the Spring when stiff behind Duporth in the Golden Rose. Did things wrong in four runs so Peter Snowden made a great move to tip him out and seven weeks later he had an unlucky Gold Coast Guineas run where Chakvetadze got more fortune. Should race forward of midfield and is in the right race. Over the Wicket has been a model of consistency but has been hampered by wide barriers. Again this is no luxury but could go forward. Best of the outsiders might be the kiwi Geeza. Like backing horses with good win % and he has four wins from six appearances including the G3 Breeders last start. M Rodd is an interesting booking.
