The Annabel Neasham-trained Fawkner Park is tipped to relish a step-up in distance and turn the tables on his stablemate Bois D’argent as favourite in Saturday’s 2024 The Q22.
Fawkner Park is favourite to win Saturday’s The Q22 2024. Photo: Steve Hart.
The Group 2 $1.2 million The Q22 (1400m) closes the Stradbroke Handicap Day card in Brisbane on the weekend and a quality line-up of winter weight-for-age hopefuls faces off in the Eagle Farm showdown.
Sitting top of the latest The Q22 betting odds at Ladbrokes.com.au is the consistent Fawkner Park at $4 and firming to improve on his lead-up third behind surprise winner, the also Neasham-trained Bois D’argent in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m).
There was little to spare on the line in a blanket Doomben Cup finish and now Zoffany five-year-old Fawkner Park is set to improve and post his own feature race triumph.
Bois D’argent won the Doomben Cup at a big price last time out and also lines-up in The Q22 field as a $10 shot in the markets from gate four with Blake Shinn retaining the ride.
Fawkner Park meanwhile is one on his inside in gate three for jockey Tyler Schiller.
Neasham chases her third The Q22 trophy following recent victories with the mighty Zaaki (2021) and Numerian (2022).
She has a strangle-hold on the field numbers-wise in 2024 with Fawkner Park and Bois D’argent two of five runners overall for the stable.
The other Neasham hopes in the mix are this winter’s Group 2 AD Hollindale winning eight-year-old Numerian ($21) after his second The Q22 success, veteran nine-year-old Spirit Ridge ($16) coming off a lead-up Group 3 BRC Chairman’s Handicap win at Doomben, and Doomben Cup fifth placed Naval College ($26).
Second elect in The Q22 odds online at $6.50 is the Chris Waller-trained Queensland Derby winner from last winter, Kovalica, out wider in barrier 12.
Ocean Park four-year-old Kovalica chases his first win since his Group 1 Queensland Derby success back in May last year.
He may have a notable winning drought to end, but his Doomben Cup sixth last time out was eye-catching and he is undefeated boasting a flawless three-from-three record at the Eagle Farm track.
Waller is a three-time winning trainer of the event formerly known as the Eagle Farm Cup / PJ O’Shea Stakes and has two in the mix this year with Kovalica joined by triple-figure outsider El Bodegon ($101).
The last of the single-figure hopes in The Q22 betting at $8 is the Kris Lees-trained import Adelaide River to be ridden by champion hoop James McDonald from gate six.
The four-year-old Australia stallion is second-up down under out to improve on his ninth in Eagle Farm’s Group 3 Lord Mayors Cup when the former Aidan O’Brien-trained European made his debut for his new stable.
Click here for the latest The Q22 2024 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2024 The Q22 Final Field & Barrier Draw
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6x94714x10 | NUMERIAN (IRE) | Annabel Neasham | Jamie Mott | 10 | 59kg | 112 | ||
| 2 | x0666x0154 | HUETOR (FR) | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tommy Berry | 17 | 59kg | 111 | ||
| 3 | x3723320x7 | LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (FR) | Ciaron Maher | Craig Williams | 5 | 59kg | 109 | ||
| 4 | 2674×27431 | BOIS D’ARGENT (GB) | Annabel Neasham | Blake Shinn | 4 | 59kg | 109 | ||
| 5 | 250×409536 | KOVALICA (NZ) | Chris Waller | James Orman | 12 | 59kg | 108 | ||
| 6 | 23x28221x9 | ADELAIDE RIVER (IRE) | Kris Lees | James McDonald | 6 | 59kg | 108 | ||
| 7 | 54x10172x0 | LE DON DE VIE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Vlad Duric | 15 | 59kg | 108 | ||
| 8 | x02295x240 | VOW AND DECLARE | Danny O’Brien | Billy Egan | 2 | 59kg | 107 | ||
| 9 | 11632×3170 | YOUNG WERTHER (NZ) | Danny O’Brien | Michael Dee | 14 | 59kg | 106 | ||
| 10 | 5233220×41 | SPIRIT RIDGE (GB) | Annabel Neasham | Ryan Maloney | 16 | 59kg | 106 | ||
| 11 | 07x0090x00 | EL BODEGON (IRE) | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 13 | 59kg | 105 | ||
| 12 | 50x49621x0 | CLEVELAND (IRE) | Kris Lees | Dylan Gibbons (a) | 11 | 59kg | 104 | ||
| 13 | 700×953171 | HEZASHOCKA (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Chad Schofield | 1 | 59kg | 104 | ||
| 14 | 32x8111x95 | NAVAL COLLEGE (GB) | Annabel Neasham | Tom Sherry | 7 | 59kg | 104 | ||
| 15 | 0x50x44113 | FAWKNER PARK (IRE) | Annabel Neasham | Tyler Schiller | 3 | 59kg | 104 | ||
| 16 | 27x4006x02 | CONVERGE | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 8 | 59kg | 104 | ||
| 17 | x050413x24 | KNIGHT’S CHOICE | John Symons & Sheila Laxon | Robbie Dolan | 9 | 59kg | 95 | ||
| 18 | 7111x03x09 | AMOKURA | Kris Lees | Mark Zahra | 18 | 57kg | 102 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE?
For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
