Dawn Passage remains the favourite for the 2020 Stradbroke Handicap despite drawing the extreme outside barrier in the $350,000 Group 1 sprint over 1400m at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Dawn Passage, above, is the favourite for the 2020 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm. Photo by Steve Hart.

Dawn Passage, above, is the favourite for the 2020 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm. Photo by Steve Hart.

The Bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au have Dawn Passage at the top of the betting at $4.60, a clear margin over the $7 second pick Trekking who was also handed the visitor’s draw.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained three year old drew barrier 23 in the original draw but will move in five spaces and jump from the outside gate when the 18 horse field is finalized on Saturday morning.

The wide barrier will be offset by Dawn Passage’s light weight with the colt only having to carry 50kg with James Innes Jnr taking the ride.

Dawn Passage secured his spot in the Stradbroke Handicap field when he became exempt from the ballot with his win in the Group 3 $125,000 Fred Best Classic (1350m) at Doomben last Saturday and co-trainer Adrian Bott said the stable wasn’t concerned about the seven day back up.

“I think it will really suit him,” Bott told AAP.

“We went up there knowing he would have to run on Saturday, and he has been in Brisbane early to give him plenty of time.

“He will have a nice easy week and this hit-out will have done him the world of good.”

Last year’s Stradbroke Handicap winner Trekking’s job was made a bit tougher to score back to back wins in the Queensland Winter Carnival’s premier race when he was handed the visitor’s barrier and will jump from gate seventeen, one inside of Dawn Passage.

Michael Cahill takes the ride on the James Cummings trained sprinter and Godolphin’s Australian Managing Director Vin Cox said that the wide gate does pose a problem for the topweight .

“Trekking is one of the elite sprinters in the country, no question. Take the barrier aside, we would be very confident,” Cox told The Courier-Mail.

Cummings will also saddle up Kementari (barrier 10), Rainer (barrier 19) and the three year old filly Exhilarates who has drawn nicely at barrier four and only has 49.5kg on her back. in the Stradbroke Handicap.

“She will be able to take up a nice position. She’s only got 49.5kg, she’s got a great barrier, we don’t see the 1400m as an issue,” Cox said.

“On the seven-day back-up like she did in the Magic Millions, it’s not a bad formula.”

Final field for the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m)

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp Rating
1 x81324x721 TREKKING James Cummings Michael Cahill 22 58kg 116
2 39x27x3358 KEMENTARI James Cummings Ryan Maloney 10 55.5kg 110
3 22x81412x2 NICCANOVA Steve Tregea James Orman 17 53kg 106
4 3104210×11 RANIER James Cummings Larry Cassidy 19 53kg 106
5 x2814x2x01 VICTOREM Jenny Graham Dale Smith 9 52.5kg 109
6 x86436x775 TYZONE Toby & Trent Edmonds Robbie Fradd 21 52.5kg 104
7 x578x568x4 CRACK ME UP (NZ) Bjorn Baker Justin Huxtable (a) 11 52.5kg 105
8 1x8211x449 VEGA ONE Tony Gollan Jim Byrne 20 52kg 102
9 306x010x04 CHIEF IRONSIDE (GB) Kris Lees Corey Bayliss (a) 14 52kg 103
10 40x3440x45 GRAFF Kris Lees Sean Cormack 2 52kg 103
11 213115×823 DEEP IMAGE Robert Heathcote Ms Stephanie Thornton 18 51.5kg 102
12 0x07x25x46 WINTER BRIDE Toby & Trent Edmonds Jake Bayliss 16 51kg 105
13 x41011x970 MADAM ROUGE Chris Waller Jason Taylor 13 51kg 104
14 00x1281x34 OUTBACK BARBIE Tony Gollan Mark Du Plessis 8 51kg 104
15 3321722213 BAM’S ON FIRE Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Tegan Harrison 1 51kg 102
16 x156x28111 DAWN PASSAGE Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott James Innes Jnr 23 50kg 100
17 x28x214x11 HIGHTAIL Peter & Paul Snowden Blake Spriggs 5 50kg 96
18 1127x53x32 EXHILARATES James Cummings Taylor Marshall 4 49.5kg 96
19e 01x165x223 BACCARAT BABY David Vandyke Micheal Hellyer 3 51kg 102
20e x88880x992 BRAVE SONG Peter & Paul Snowden 12 51.5kg 102
21e 4466×61260 BANDIPUR Kelly Purdy 7 51kg 101
22e 21x7574x55 MILITARY ZONE Peter & Paul Snowden 15 51kg 99
23e 527×520640 DELECTATION GIRL (GB) Kris Lees 6 51kg 99

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.