The Sunshine Coast gears up for a battle in the mud on Saturday as the 2024 A.D. Hollindale Stakes takes centre stage.
Huetor heads betting on the 2024 A.D. Hollindale Stakes on way to a dual title defence in the Doomben Cup. Photo: Steve Hart.
This crucial Group 2 $500,000 contest serves as a vital lead-up to the upcoming winter carnivals, with ongoing track upgrades at the Gold Coast forcing the race to Caloundra for the second consecutive year.
With more rain forecast, punters are expecting a testing track, and few horses relish the mud like dual Doomben Cup champion Huetor.
Trained by Peter & Paul Snowden, the seven-year-old Archipenko gelding boasts a remarkable record on Heavy going (9:2-0-3).
Huetor enters the race in peak form, having bounced back from a disappointing run in the Doncaster Prelude with a dominant victory in the JRA Plate on a Heavy track in Sydney.
While the 1800m distance for the Hollindale isn’t ideal after his recent success at 2000m, the wet conditions undoubtedly favour him.
Drawn wide in barrier nine with jockey Tommy Berry aboard, he should be able to avoid trouble and find clear running room.
Ladbrokes has him installed as the favourite at $3.60.
Huetor’s main challenger according to the markets is last year’s Queensland Derby winner, Kovalica.
Trained by Chris Waller, the four-year-old Ocean Park colt will be ridden by Nash Rawiller from barrier 13 and is priced at $4.20 at time of publish.
While his last win came on turf in the Derby, he shouldn’t be underestimated and could break his winning drought on Saturday.
Two other runners deserve a mention.
Magnus gelding Just Folk ($7) trained by Gavin Bedggood boasts an imposing win record on Heavy tracks and comes off a victory in the Hawkesbury Gold Cup last weekend.
Annabel Neasham, who has won the past three consecutive Hollindale Stakes races with triple champion Zaaki, saddles up four contenders this year, with Mighty Ulysses ($8) the most fancied of the bunch.
The 2024 A.D. Hollindale Stakes is set for Race 7 at 4:08pm (AEST) on a nine-race card at the Sunshine Coast.
2024 A.D. Hollindale Stakes Field
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 256x94714x | NUMERIAN (IRE) | Annabel Neasham | Jamie Mott | 11 | 59kg | 111 | ||
| 2 | 16x0666x01 | HUETOR (FR) | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tommy Berry | 14 | 59kg | 111 | ||
| 3 | 054x10172x | LE DON DE VIE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | James Orman | 12 | 59kg | 109 | ||
| 4 | x9250x4095 | KOVALICA (NZ) | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 13 | 59kg | 108 | ||
| 5 | x24313x631 | JUST FOLK | Gavin Bedggood | Mark Zahra | 8 | 59kg | 108 | ||
| 6 | 4x1111x808 | UNSPOKEN (IRE) | Peter & Paul Snowden | Michael Dee | 2 | 59kg | 106 | ||
| 7 | 180x57208x | HOO YA MAL (GB) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 4 | 59kg | 106 | ||
| 8 | 515x516x01 | MIGHTY ULYSSES (GB) | Annabel Neasham | Ryan Maloney | 7 | 59kg | 105 | ||
| 9 | 1132x8111x | NAVAL COLLEGE (GB) | Annabel Neasham | John Allen | 1 | 59kg | 104 | ||
| 10 | 18x984024x | LUNCIES (GB) | Kris Lees | James McDonald | 3 | 59kg | 104 | ||
| 11 | 018135x0x2 | JIMI HENDRIX (IRE) | Annabel Neasham | Damien Thornton | 6 | 59kg | 103 | ||
| 12 | 0468555141 | WAPITI | Gary Duncan | Robbie Dolan | 9 | 59kg | 90 | ||
| 13 | 736417×034 | DENY KNOWLEDGE (IRE) | Michael Kent | Opie Bosson | 5 | 57kg | 102 | ||
| 14 | 44x032x210 | OSMOSE (FR) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Adam Hyeronimus | 10 | 57kg | 102 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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