It’s a wide open affair for the 2017 Stradbroke Handicap at Doomben Racecourse on Saturday and below are our insider betting tips and the latest odds on the winter classic.
Egyptian Symbol is the Races.com.au team’s upset tip to win the 2017 Stradbroke Handicap in Brisbane this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.
Running as Race 8 at 3:40pm (AEST), a capacity field is gathered for this season’s $1.5 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1350m).
The race has been one of upsets over the past decade with seven of the past 10 Stradbroke Handicap winners, including the past five on the trot, saluting at double-figures.
In the latest Stradbroke Handicap betting markets on this year’s race at Ladbrokes.com.au just four of the hopefuls are under $10 for the win.
Clearly Innocent coming off the Kingsford-Smith Cup win is the easing $5.50 favourite with the nasty barrier who will need to be improving on a firmer track giving the weight away with 57kg.
The other best in betting include the rails drawn Mackintosh ($7) for Chris Waller who has firmed into second favouritism, his Kingsford-Smith Cup third-placed stablemate Counterattack ($8) and the Darren Weir-trained Ulmann ($8.50) who is weighted to win with 53.5kg.
Earlier we published our exclusive Stradbroke Handicap 2017 Form Guide & Betting Preview, tips for the race based on the facts uncovered detailed below.
1st
#13 Egyptian Symbol ($15)
The Stradbroke Handicap is a race known for its upset results and happy to tip that to happen again this weekend. The last time the event ran at Doomben over Eagle Farm was in 2015 when the mare Srikandi got the job done off a Doomben 10,000 sixth. This year Bjorn Baker saddles-up a nicely weighted mare in Stratum four-year-old Egyptian Symbol. She’s not won since December, but her Robert Sangster Stakes fifth in Group 1 company first-up was good as was her run in the wet at Eagle Farm a fortnight back. She’s down from 57.5kg to 53.5kg and Glyn Schofield comes on. This is obviously a much tougher assignment, but she’s got an outstanding 76% place rate and think she can surprise.
2nd
#3 Burning Front ($15)
There’s been plenty of money coming in for Darren Weir’s ultra-consistent six-year-old who has been backed in from $21 to $15. The problem is this galloper doesn’t know how to win a Group 1. Still, he’s been very good of late beaten just once in his eight most recent runs. Back from a mile after an Adelaide win in the race that produced the 2013 Stradbroke Handicap winner Linton. He’s the right age to win with six-year-olds having won five times since 2008 and just needs to show he can do it over this distance in this class.
3rd
#8 Mackintosh ($7)
Waller is after his first Stradbroke Handicap win and Mackintosh now shapes-up as his best hope according to the punters. Gets the rails run from barrier one, the gate that produced Srikandi for her 2015 win when the race also took place at Doomben. He is undefeated first-up and resumes here. Also undefeated at the track (2-2-0-0) and is two-from-three over this distance. Gets blinkers on, Kerrin McEvoy rides and ticks plenty of boxes as a proven Good-track performer (11-5-0-1) in a field of horses that have been performing better in the wet.
Whether you’re backing or sacking our insider 2017 Stradbroke Handicap betting tips make sure you’ve got access to the best winter racing odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au.
