There is nothing separating the top two fillies in 2017 The Roses betting for Doomben this weekend with Kenedna and Dawn Wall locked in a two-horse battle for favouritism.
The Darren Weir-trained Kenedna is narrow early favourite in 2017 The Roses odds for Doomben this weekend in Brisbane. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
A key lead-up to next month’s Queensland Oaks, the $175,000 Group 2 The Magic Millions Roses (2000m) features 16 chances and runs as Doomben Race 6 at 3:21pm (AEST) on Saturday.
Leading The Roses betting at Ladbrokes.com.au are the Darren Weir-trained Kenedna ($3.50) and Dawn Wall ($3.60) for Chris Waller drawn in barriers four and 12 respectively.
Both fillies are tracking towards an Eagle Farm run over the mile and a half in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks on June 3 and are out to put the writing on the wall for that with a win on the weekend.
Weir is absolutely flying this season and the Victorian horseman has enjoyed plenty of success with his progressive Not A Single Doubt filly Kenedna.
She won back-to-back Morphettville races before her devastatingly close second behind Egg Tart in the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks (2010m) on May 6 in Adelaide.
This weekend she travels to the sunshine state and over the same distance shapes-up as a huge danger with John Allen retaining the ride.
Waller opted not to accept for his Schweppes Oaks winner Egg Tart in the Doomben Roses field, but he still has an imposing contingent led by Dawn Wall who Hugh Bowman rides.
The consistent daughter of Fastnet Rock occupies the second line of markets at this stage for the Group 2 with work to do from her double-digit draw.
She comes off a win in the traditional lead up from a similar barrier however (11 of 14) when Bowman guided her to a one and a half-length victory in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) two weeks ago.
There are just two other fillies under $10 in Doomben Roses markets this winter with The Pinnacle ($8.50) and Oklahoma Girl ($9.50) in gates five and 13 respectively.
There has been plenty to like about the lead-up form of the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained So You Think filly The Pinnacle who is bred to see out this distance being a daughter of a dual Cox Plate champion.
She comes into The Roses on the back of a second to Dawn Wall in the Bracelet and should only improve getting out over more metres.
Oklahoma Girl meanwhile is drawn wide, but Waller’s up-and-coming daughter of Fastnet Rock benefits from the booking of English hoop James Doyle.
He replaces Tommy Berry in the saddle of the proven miler who is up in distance on the back of a Rosehill third over 1800m in a three-years-old BenchMark 78 from earlier in the month.
Of the double figure fancies the dangers for an upset shape-up as Candika ($11) and Waller’s third starter Invincibella ($13).
Doomben is currently rated a Slow (5), but with heavy rainfall predicted leading up to Saturday there’s a strong chance the meeting will take place in the wet.
That will suit the Steven O’Dea-trained Candika who has winning form on Heavy going, the Sebring filly out to improve on her lead-up third to Dawn Wall at the Gold Coast.
The big plus for the local though is the return to Doomben where she boasts a dominant record of four wins and two thirds from eight starts.
Invincibella meanwhile has Kerrin McEvoy riding from barrier two for her Doomben debut on the back of a Gold Coast Bracelet fourth and prior to that a second to Raiment in Randwick’s Group 3 James Carr Stakes (1400m) on a Heavy (8) in mid-April.
Check out the latest Doomben The Roses 2017 betting odds below, prices open now at Ladbrokes.com.au.
