Vega One is the firming favourite to enjoy another Group 1 win in Brisbane after the Tony Gollan-trained galloper came up trumps with gate four in the 2021 Stradbroke Handicap barrier draw.
Mr Quickie jumps from the inside alley in Saturday’s 2021 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Following final acceptances for Saturday’s Group 1 $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m), Tuesday afternoon saw barriers for Queensland’s most famous race allocated to the hopeful horses.
The big winner drawing barrier four, which will become two with emergencies out, was Gollan’s last start Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup winner Vega One.
The horse chases the double from the favourable alley with Racel King coming aboard on just 53kg following a gun Jamie Kah ride in the lead-up race at the same track on May 29 with Vega One carrying 59kg from barrier 13 that day.
Vega One has now firmed into outright $6 favouritism in the post-barrier Stradbroke Handicap odds at Ladbrokes.com.au with the pressure now on King to get the in-form galloper into a winning position here.
The danger occupying the second line of Stradbroke Handicap betting at $6.50 is the Hawkes Racing-trained Wild Planet drawing out wider in barrier 15.
He comes off a lead-up Group 1 Doomben 10,000 second to Eduardo, the form of which was franked by Vega One (4th) last time out.
Wild Planet has been kept fresh for the Straddie, is a proven second-up performer and has an excellent 1400m record at the distance.
The wide alley also could be an advantage with history showing five Stradbroke Handicap winners from 2012 – 2020 saluting from double-digit barriers.
Favourites in Stradbroke Handicap betting also have a poor recent record with Black Piranha (2009) the only to get the job done since 2004.
The inside Stradbroke Handicap barrier meanwhile belongs to dual Group 1 winner Mr Quickie who is into $9.50 to carry the 56.5kg top weight to victory.
Phillip Stokes’ five-year-old is another top 1400m horse (7:4-1-1) and comes off strong lead-up form at Caulfield he and jockey James McDonald are out to frank this weekend in Queensland.
The only other single-figure chance in the current markets paying $9 to turn the tables on a couple of these horses is the Toby & Trent Edmonds-trained Fastnet Rock seven-year-old The Harrovian.
The veteran is two-from-two at Eagle Farm and four-from-six at the 1400m ahead of the Stradbroke.
He was fifth two back at 30/1 behind Mugatoo in the $5 million The All-Star Mile at The Valley before a strong third only a half-length beaten at similar odds in the Doomben 10,000.
Ace hoop Glen Boss comes aboard here chasing a potential upset from a good barrier 11 position.
Click here for the latest Stradbroke Handicap 2021 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2021 Stradbroke Handicap Barrier Draw
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27106×3012 | MR QUICKIE | Phillip Stokes | James McDonald | 1 | 56.5kg | 112 | ||
| 2 | 88141×9116 | SAVATOXL | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Barend Vorster | 13 | 55kg | 109 | ||
| 3 | 51x3597x72 | TOFANE (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Craig Williams | 12 | 54.5kg | 112 | ||
| 4 | x34303x200 | IMAGING (GB) | Chris Waller | Tim Clark | 17 | 54.5kg | 108 | ||
| 5 | 2x8x60x018 | OLMEDO (FR) | Annabel Neasham | Ryan Maloney | 18 | 54.5kg | 108 | ||
| 6 | 3410×51610 | SO SI BON | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | Blaike McDougall | 9 | 54kg | 107 | ||
| 7 | 10x81910x2 | WILD PLANET | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tommy Berry | 15 | 54kg | 107 | ||
| 8 | 5068622×10 | NICCANOVA | Steve Tregea | James Orman | 14 | 54kg | 107 | ||
| 9 | 0x1107x410 | I AM SUPERMAN (IRE) | Peter & Paul Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 3 | 54kg | 107 | ||
| 10 | 2x010x3935 | VICTOREM | Jenny Graham | Mark Du Plessis | 8 | 54kg | 107 | ||
| 11 | x4494x6241 | VEGA ONE | Tony Gollan | Ms Rachel King | 4 | 53kg | 110 | ||
| 12 | 11111x55x3 | THE HARROVIAN | Toby & Trent Edmonds | Glen Boss | 11 | 53kg | 105 | ||
| 13 | 46730×1543 | SIGNORE FOX | Peter & Paul Snowden | Ben Thompson | 19 | 52kg | 105 | ||
| 14 | 3175231×81 | EMERALD KINGDOM | Robert Heathcote | Robbie Fradd | 10 | 52kg | 103 | ||
| 15 | 6741x260x6 | MADAM ROUGE | Chris Waller | (late alt) | 16 | 51.5kg | 105 | ||
| 16 | x46160x172 | SUBPOENAED (NZ) | Chris Waller | Ron Stewart | 21 | 51kg | 105 | ||
| 17 | 715831×390 | MASTER JAMIE | Graeme Green | Taylor Marshall | 6 | 51kg | 92 | ||
| 18 | x531404121 | APACHE CHASE | Desleigh Forster | Jim Byrne | 7 | 49.5kg | 50.5kg | 98 | |
| 19e | 8×33929417 | OUTBACK BARBIE | Tony Gollan | Jye McNeil | 20 | 51kg | 52kg | 103 | |
| 20e | 26×8223473 | AMISH BOY | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Ms Stephanie Thornton | 5 | 50kg | 98 | ||
| 21e | x575615x30 | BLAZEJOWSKI | Greg Eurell | 2 | 51kg | 101 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
