Defending champion Redzel has drawn midfield at barrier six in Saturday’s Group 1 $700,000 Kirin Doomben 10,000 (1200m) at Doomben.

Redzel,above, has drawn barrier six in the 2018 Doomben 10,000 at Doomben. Photo by Steve Hart.

A final field of fourteen has been declared for the weight for age sprint and Redzel with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle again will have no problem taking up his customary forward position from barrier six.

“I’m very happy with his draw and he’s as good if not a bit better than last year,” Peter Snowden told Racing Queensland News Desk.

“He only just got beaten in the T J Smith and he’s been racing in much stronger company than last year when he was still going through the grades.”

The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Redzel has taken all before him since winning the 2017 Doomben 10,000 with a win in the $10m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick during the 2017 Sydney Spring Carnival followed by a win in the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on the final day of the 2017 Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Redzel had a light 2018 Sydney Autumn Carnival and comes to Brisbane on the back of a second to Trapeze Artist in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on day one of The Championships.

The speedy Houtzen has drawn the extreme outside barrier and new rider Regan Bayliss will more than likely have to push forward from the wide gate and take up her regular spot in front.

Houtzen and Redzel shared the lead when they met in the 2017 The Everest and that is shaping up as a likely scenario again.

The James Cummings trained Impending has drawn a little awkwardly at barrier nine and jockey Damian Browne will be looking for some early luck to try to slot in behind the leading division and get some nice cover in the middle stages.

Impending won last year’s  Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Doomben and will take a lot of benefit from his first up win in the Group 2 $200,000 Hiflow Industries Victory Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on April 28.

Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown will also being looking for some early cover on Galaxy winner In Her Time who has drawn next to Impending and will jump from gate eight.

The Ben Smith trained In Her Time broke through for her initial Group 1 win in the $700,000 The PFD Food Services Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill during the 2018 Sydney Autumn Carnival and then finished third in the T J Smith Stakes.

The locals will be pinning their hopes on the Tony Gollan trained Most Important who will jump from gate five with Jim Byrne in the saddle.

Byrne has stuck with Most Important after they combined for a first up second to Impending in the Victory Stakes and the I Am Invincible five year old will take a lot of benefit out of that run.

Final field for 2018 Doomben 10,000 (1200m)