Dual Everest winner Redzel won’t take any further part in the 2019 Brisbane Winter Carnival giving the Chris Waller trained Nature Strip a free rein to consolidate favouritism for the Group 1 $800,000 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) at Doomben on May 11.
Nature Strip, above, is the early favourite for the 2019 Doomben 10,000 at Doomben. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Nature Strip is now the $3.60 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Doomben 10,000 after co-trainer Peter Snowden confirmed that Redzel would not return to Brisbane after running second as the odds on $1.85 favourite behind I Am Excited in the Group 2 $200,000 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm last Saturday.
Snowden said that Redzel had pulled up with a slight hamstring complaint and would head straight back to Sydney for a spell.
“He will come straight back to Sydney,” Snowden told Sky Sports Radio.
“It was disappointing and it clearly showed there is something not quite right with him.
“We will go over him top to bottom.”
“He won’t run again this preparation.”
Nature Strip captured his first Group 1 win when he held on by a nose to beat the fast finishing Pierata in the Group 1 $700,000 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on March 23 and has shown that he has taken no harm from that win with a dominant Randwick barrier trial win over 1045m on April 26.
Galaxy winning jockey James McDonald tried to restrain Nature Strip in the early stages of the trial but had to let the free striding chestnut have more rein before the home turn and he went on to record a comfortable win under his own steam.
Group 1 bridesmaid Osborne Bulls is the second pick in the Doomben 10,000 betting at $4.60 and is way overdue for a win at the highest level after being runner up at his last four starts.
The James Cummings trained Osborne Bulls began his run of Group 1 placings with a second to In Her Time in the $750,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington during the 2019 Melbourne Autumn Carnival followed by a second to Sunlight in the $1.25m Seppelt Newmarket Handicap (1200m) down the Flemington straight again.
Osborne Bulls then ran on from the back of the field to be runner up to Santa Ana Lane in the Group 1 $2.5m Aquis T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Day One of The Championships on April 6 before running second to Pierata in the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick a fortnight later.
Early betting for the 2019 Doomben 10,000 at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.60 Nature Strip, $4.60 Osborne Bulls, $7 Zoustyle, $9 Champagne Cuddles, Home Of The Brave, I Am Excited, $10 Zousain, $14 Ef Troop, Graff, Sesar, Trekking, Viridine, Winter Bride, $16 Dreamforce, Plague Stone, $20 Le Romain, Menari, $26 or better the rest.
