Queensland racing’s premier raceday and the maroons are in a spot of bother just like the State Of Origin rugby league team.
For loyal locals the feature raceday may well come down to a couple of aging brothers who are showing no signs of being boom types.
The Tony Gollan-trained Spirit Of Boom and Temple Of Boom went one-two in the Doomben 10000 and now for the home state’s richest event.
The duo contest the $1m Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday where the “boom brothers” are out to repel the southern marauders.
And the $20 million man, racing’s on-going record setter, Chris Waller is a player. A heavyweight on the feature day as is Darley’s fellow trainer John O’Shea.
Waller will start his multiple group 1 winning mare Red Tracer in the Stradbroke. It would appear Waller has honed it to perfection for Red Tracer hasn’t raced since a third in the group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Randwick on April 19.
But it appears of little concern to Waller who has fitted Red Tracer for Queenland’s richest race by starting Red Tracer in two trials and she has been successful both times.
Adding to the Red Tracer appeal is that jockey Nash Rawiller. Then you’ve got O’Shea’s duo of Knoydart and Emblems the former having spring form around Lankan Rupee which is being hailed as the world’s best sprinter.
O’Shea has applied a cross over nose band to Knoydart which hit the line strongly in the 10000 in which the run of Stradbroke contender Famous Seamus was noteworthy.
A winner of the group 1 BTC Cup Famous Seamus ran into trouble in the straight last time and it is worth remembering trainer Noel Mayfield-Smith won a Stradbroke with Landsighting in 2000.
Then you’ve got the Stradbroke’s untapped filly. The Victorian three-year-old Srikandi who may provide the locals with bragging rights for they will claim jockey Glen Boss as their own.
Boss may have been born up north but he rose to fame in Sydney, embellished his CV internationally, and of course won three Melbourne Cups on Maykbe Diva.
Boss won a Stradbroke on O’Shea’s three-year-old filly Private Steer and the jockey opted for Srikandi over Rebel Dane which will be ridden in the Stradbroke by the internationally sought Tom Berry.
So the Stradbroke looks to be heading south and it may well be the case in the other two group 1s on the day, the Queensland Derby and the JJ Atkins for two-year-olds.
Waller has the firming favourite Brazen Beau in the juvenile group 1 while O’Shea will start Mohave and Careless.
Many considered Brazen Beau unlucky when missing the start before finishing fourth last time out in the Sires Produce behind Atkins rival Time For War.
Both Mohave and Careless were ridden from behind in the Sires and the pair closed late. Interesting to note Darley’s retained jockey Kerrin McEvoy has opted to ride Careless while the now Hong Kong based Hugh Bowman is on Mohave.
Talking of Bowman he is out to join elite company by winning the Queensland Derby on Gold Coast-trained Rudy. Bowman won the Victory Derby on Polanski and AJC equivalent on Criterion.
Melbourne Cup winning jockey Ray Selkrig won the three derbies on Royal Sovereign whose trainer John Page is married to Helen, who prepares Bowman’s Rudy.
Now Waller has Vilanova in the derby in which O’Shea saddles up Auberge. Vilanova heads betting on the strength of a last start Grand Prix victory.
A race in which the New Zealand filly Telepathic travelled three wide without cover for the entire trip. Pity Telepathic has drawn 16 in the derby but then again trainer Donna Logan has only had the one race in mind.
Logan has zeroed in on the Derby when Telepathic would have been a short priced favourite in last Saturday’s Queensland Oaks. Rivals would have been in more than a spot of bother.
THE TIPS
JJ ATKINS:
CARELESS 1, Brazen Beau 2, Almalad 3, Time for War 4.
QUEENSLAND DERBY:
TELEPATHIC 1, Vilanova 2, Rudy 3, Rock Diva 4.
STRADBROKE HANDICAP:
KNOYDART 1,Srikandi 2, Rebel Dane 3, Red Tracer 4.
By Craig Young
