The race officially still known as the BTC Chairman’s Handicap 2015 is one of the key support acts on the Gold Coast race card this weekend and the Chris Waller-trained top weight Index Linked has come up with barrier one.
Index Linked carries the 59kg top weight in Saturday’s 2015 BTC Chairman’s Handicap at the Gold Coast. Photo: Sarah Ebbett.
Due to run as Race 3 on Hollindale Stakes Day at 12:52pm (AEST) on Saturday, this year’s $125,000 Group 3 BTC Chairman’s Handicap (2200m) has had a venue change from Brisbane to the Gold Coast.
The final field for the quality handicap clash features 10 acceptors including Waller’s Dansili seven-year-old import Index Linked carrying the 59kg top weight.
Lining up for his 30th career start he is after his maiden win over further than 2000m and is on the short seven day back-up following a credible fifth when beaten three lengths carrying the same weight (59kg) in Sydney last Saturday behind Gypsy Diamond in the Group 3 JRA Plate (2000m).
Winner of the Melbourne’s Mornington Cup Prelude and Yarra Valley Cup earlier this autumn, Index Linked was competitive from the inside alley in the JRA Plate and he and Glen Boss get another run from barrier one this weekend.
Also with inside draws are the Robert Heathcote-trained Volkhere (barrier two) and Peter Moody’s Sir John Hawkwood (barrier three) to be ridden by Tegan Harrison and Luke Nolen respectively.
Brisbane-based Dehere six-year-old Volkhere comes off a third over the 2200m at Doomben on April 11 while Moody’s six-year-old Sir Percy gelding Sir John Hawkwood ran second behind Tremec in the Group 2 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (2600m) in the wet at Randwick on April 6.
Both of the above horse’s last start conquerors are also in the BTC Chairman’s Handicap mix on the weekend with the Chris Munce-trained Perplexity and John Thompson’s improver Tremec drawn in gates six and nine respectively.
Gun Queensland jockey-turned-trainer Munce has apprentice hoop Luke Tarrant aboard the in-form Perplexity as the Lonhro five-year-old shoots for his third win from his past four runs.
One of those recent victories was over this track and distance in mid-March, his Doomben win last time out taking his record over the 2200m to an impressive three wins and two thirds from six starts.
Tremec meanwhile carries 57.5kg on the weekend with Brenton Avdulla in the saddle, the visiting Sydney-based Zabeel gelding looking to complete a dual state Chairman’s Handicap double on the weekend when he goes up 4.5kg on his last run.
Other notable Chairman’s Handicap hopes for the Gold Coast edition on the weekend include Sandown Classic runner-up Epingle, Tony Gollan’s progressive Husson gelding Hi Son and Newcastle mare Oriental Lady for Kris Lees.
The complete 2015 BTC Chairman’s Handicap field, barriers, jockeys and weights are listed below.
Make sure you also have an account open and ready to go at Ladbrokes.com.au as they will be releasing the Hollindale Stakes Day betting markets on Saturday’s Queensland features shortly!
2015 BTC Chairman’s Handicap Final Field & Barrier Draw
Gold Coast Race 3 (12:52pm) – 25/04/2015
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1×89821105 | INDEX LINKED (GB) | Chris Waller | Glen Boss | 1 | 59kg | 102 |
| 2 | 135x4442x0 | EPINGLE (NZ) | Michael Kent | Hugh Bowman | 10 | 57.5kg | 103 |
| 3 | 20x44x0781 | TREMEC (NZ) | John P Thompson | Brenton Avdulla | 9 | 57.5kg | 99 |
| 4 | 9x676x0162 | SIR JOHN HAWKWOOD (IRE) | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 3 | 55.5kg | 95 |
| 5 | 112212×043 | VOLKHERE | Robert Heathcote | Tegan Harrison | 2 | 54.5kg | 93 |
| 6 | 221123×265 | HI SON | Tony Gollan | Jim Byrne | 4 | 54kg | 92 |
| 7 | 188×923574 | ORIENTAL LADY (GER) | Kris Lees | Michael Cahill | 5 | 54kg | 90 |
| 8 | 9203823141 | PERPLEXITY | Chris Munce | Luke Tarrant (a) | 6 | 54kg | 86 |
| 9 | 2212×06147 | ANTON EN AVANT | Stephen Lee | TBA | 7 | 54kg | 78 |
| 10 | 3x9078x621 | MONACO DOLL (NZ) | Toby Edmonds | Jeff Lloyd | 8 | 54kg | 75 |
