Joe Pride’s brilliant sprinter Eduardo is into odds-on favouritism to secure another Group 1 victory this weekend in Brisbane’s $1,000,000 Doomben 10,000 (1200m).
Eduardo dominates the 2021 Doomben 10,000 odds in Brisbane this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.
The seven-year-old Host gelding is one of eleven sprinters engaged to face off in the 2021 Doomben 10,000 field to kick off elite level racing during the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.
After securing the perfect barrier six draw for jockey Nash Rawiller – who guided Bel Esprit to victory in the race back in 2003 – Eduardo has continued to firm in Doomben 10,000 betting at Ladbrokes.com.au and now pays a short $1.95.
The horse comes off an excellent campaign in Sydney having won the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) first-up defeating Australian Horse of the Year Nature Strip on March 6.
He franked that form carrying the topweight to victory in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill with Rawiller in the saddle.
Eduardo was last seen running a brave third to Nature Strip in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) during ‘The Championships’ and faces an easier line-up of rivals at Doomben on the weekend at weight-for-age.
Occupying the second line of betting at Doomben 10,000 odds of $5 is then the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Wild Ruler in gate two with the in-form James McDonald riding.
The Doomben 10,000 has been a good race for co-trainer Peter Snowden who prepared Beaded (2011) and Epaulette (2013) before securing a third success in partnership with his son in 2017 with the great Redzel.
This year the stable return looking for another success saddling-up consistent Snitzel colt Wild Ruler.
Third to September Run in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington last November, the gun three-year-old has won two of his three subsequent runs this time in.
The latest was at Randwick on April 17 narrowly taking out the Group 2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m) carrying 56.5kg and he will need to be good going up to 57kg against the older sprinters this weekend.
The other standout in the field is the Godolphin-raced 2019 Stradbroke Handicap hero Trekking ($8) to be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy from gate ten.
Street Cry six-year-old Trekking chases his first victory since his Group 1 The Goodwood success in Adelaide on this day 12 months ago.
Despite not having won a race since, he has been competitive at the highest level over the last year and is out to atone for his lead-up fifth in Eagle Farm’s Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) as the beaten odds-on favourite.
Trekking has been ridden by five different jockeys in the last 12 months, but connections have engaged McEvoy this time round who rides the horse for the first time since a second in the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes in Sydney last April.
McEvoy has an outstanding record in Queensland having won 12 Group 1 wins in the Sunshine State including two Doomben 10,000 titles aboard Epaulette (2013) and Music Magnate (2016).
“After sitting out of the (winter) carnival last year (due to COVID-19) it will be good to get back up there and ride Trekking in the main race, he’s a horse who I have had a bit of luck with,” the three-time Melbourne Cup winning hoop told Racenet this week.
“Anyone who has been criticising him recently is being a bit hard on him I reckon.
“He’s been running in some really good races and it was only 12 months ago he won the Group 1 Goodwood in Adelaide.
“Since then he’s run well in The Everest and some other top-line races.
“I didn’t ride him first-up but he looked like he was travelling like the winner during the run, it just looked as though his run ended on that ground first-up.”
The Doomben 10,000 is scheduled to run as Doomben Race 7 at 3:22pm (AEST) on Saturday’s Brisbane race card.
