Anyone out there jag the Doomben quaddie last weekend? I’m tipping probably not, or you wouldn’t be reading this.
Just one per cent of that bad boy would’ve yielded several grand.
It was a rough day – Buffering let us down running third in the BTC Cup behind Famous Seamus, and trainer Rob Heathcote admitted soon after the Brisbane war horse was still recovering from his TJ run.
We took Havana at a relatively good price, he jumped almost odds-on favourite then proceeded to run 16 pounds below form when second to Agitate.
Our Boy Malachi failed in the Bribie Handicap as predicted, but I didn’t think it’d be Pure Purrfection to knock him off.
Anyway, let’s move onto the Doomben Cup (2000m) which looks a cracker this year.
Hollindale Stakes winner Streama lines up chasing one last Group 1 before she retires.
Junoob and Moriarty are out to give Chris Waller a third Doomben Cup win, Leebaz is up from Sydney aiming for his first Group 1 while super impressive Warrnambool Cup winner Akzar has made the journey chasing his biggest win.
It’s a tough one to piece together, but as much as it pains me to say this, I’m prepared to take on the early favourite Streama at $4.40.
History more than anything is driving me here.
Should Streama win she’ll become just the second more in more than 60 years to have won this race.
Cinque Cento won the race in 2007 as a mare, the first female to do so since Dream saluted all the way back in 1950.
It’s a very significant statistic, and she certainly has plenty on her plate here.
Junoob found the line very well in the Hollindale and I think is the one to beat back out to this trip.
Leebaz is lightly raced and progressing very nicely while Akzar has improved out of sight under Darren Weir and looks a bit of a wildcard.
She deserves a fourth Group 1 win Streama, but I think she might just come up a fraction short in this.
The banker today is in the Fred Best Classic where South Australia’s best three-year-old Hucklebuck resumes off a short break.
The Phillip Stokes-trained star hasn’t raced since finishing 2.6L off Shamus Award in the Group 1 Australian Guineas 11 weeks back where he was found to have respiratory issues.
Prior to that he won the Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes impressively over 1400m.
He was far too good winning a trial last month in preparation for this and has bigger and better targets than this over the Queensland winter.
If he produces his best today he’ll be too good for these.
Gold Coast Guineas winner Dothraki will provide the stiffest opposition while Sunshine Coast star Enquare should also be prominent, but they don’t look up to the classy Hucklebuck.
The next race on the card is the Doomben Roses over 2000m, which should give us an indication as to who will measure up in the Queensland Oaks later in the carnival.
On paper it looks a two-horse race between Arabian Gold and New Zealander Hera, now prepared by Kris Lees.
Arabian Gold is red hot at $2.35, while Hera looks a very juicy $4.
The pair rate well clear of this field and should be fighting out the finish here.
Arabian Gold was impressive up the fence in winning the Frank Packer Plate at Randwick last start against the boys, and shouldn’t find this any tougher back against her own sex.
My concern with her is the track will be a bit firmer than what she likes, barring a bucket load of rain overnight.
Hera comes through the JHB Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick three weeks ago where she never looked likely beaten three lengths, although that was far too short.
Before moving over to Australia she won the Group 2 Sir Tristam Fillies Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa and a return to that form will make her very tough to beat.
She’s arguably the best of the New Zealanders over here for the Queensland carnival, and at $4 in what looks a two-horse race, she’s the one I’d like to be on.
BANKER: Race 5 No 3 Hucklebuck @ $2.90
BET OF THE DAY: Race 6 No 3 Hera @ $4
LAY OF THE DAY: Race 7 No 8 Streama @ $4.40
