The field for today’s Group 1 $700,000 Kirin Doomben 10,000 (1200m) at Doomben has been reduced to thirteen runners with the early scratching of the Darren Weir trained Lucky Hussler.

Lucky Hussler, above, has been scratched from the 2018 Doomben 10,000 at Doomben. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Weir had no alternative but to scratch the eight year old after it was discovered that he had developed a foot abscess on race eve.

The Doomben track has been rated a Soft 6 for the running of the first Group 1 race day of the 2018 Brisbane Winter Carnival with the rail in the true position for the entire course.

Lucky Hussler has originally drawn the inside barrier so every runner will move in one spot in the starting stalls.

The withdrawal of Lucky Hussler hasn’t affected the makeup of the betting for the Doomben 10000 at Ladbroke.com.au with 2017 winner Redzel remaining the warm favourite at $2.45 on race morning ahead of The Galaxy winner In Her Time at $3.70 and last year’s Stradbroke Handicap winner Impending at $11.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained English has had supporters with her price firming in from $16 to $13 while the Sunshine Coast trained Monsieur Gustave have been specked at long odds with his odds tumbling in from $126 earlier in the week to be marked at $51 on race morning.