A wide barrier has forced Clearly Innocent’s odds to ease for the Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Clearly Innocent, above, is a drifting favourite for the Stradbroke Handicap after drawing a wide barrier. Photo by Steve Hart.
Clearly Innocent still remains the favourite for the Stradbroke Handicap but his odds have eased from $4 to $4.80 at Ladbrokes.com.au after drawing barrier twenty out of twenty-one.
Only sixteen horses will run in the Winter Racing Carnival’s premier event and if all the five emergencies fail to get a run, Clearly Innocent will jump from gate fifteen with the Lindsay Park trained three year old Derryn to jump from the outside barrier.
The Kris Lees trained Clearly Innocent cemented his spot at the top of the market order following his dominant win in the Group 1 $700,000 Darley Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm on May 27 and will be ridden again by Hugh Bowman.
The Chris Waller trained Mackintosh has been the big shortener from $13 to $8 after drawing the rails gate and will go into the Stradbroke Handicap first up after not having raced since finishing thirteenth in the Group 1 $1m Peters Investments-Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot in Perth over the 2016 Summer Carnival.
Mackintosh has a great first up record and has trialled twice for two seventh in two recent Rosehill barrier trials and rounded off his Stradbroke Handicap preparation with a solid gallop with stablemate Good Project in between races at Rosehill last Saturday.
Kerrin McEvoy will take the ride on Mackintosh while Tommy Berry will ride Good Project ($26) who draw barrier nine in the original draw but could move in three spots at if all the emergencies fail to gain a start.
Waller’s other runner in the Stradbroke Handicap in the consistent Counterattack who also drew well at barrier two with Opie Bosson in the saddle and is also well in contention in the betting at $7
Joining Mackintosh on the third line of betting at $8 is the first of Darren Weir’s three Stradbroke Handicap runners Ulmann who drew barrier eight with Luke Nolen booked to ride.
Winning machine Burning Front is rated a $19 chance after drawing barrier twelve with apprentice Ben Allen in the saddle while Ragesse is the longest priced of the three Weir runners at $26 after drawing barrier nineteen in the original draw for Damian Lane.
Kevin Forrester rides Jungle Edge again from barrier seven and the Mick Bell trained six year old has plenty of supporters at $8.
The two three-year-olds in the Stradbroke Handicap field Derryn, $8 to $13, and Impending, $10 to $16, have both drifted in the betting after drawing wide gates.
Derryn with Craig Williams in the saddle will jump from the outside barrier while Impending will likely jump from barrier thirteen with Corey Brown engaged.
