Apart from the Magic Millions Raceday, the best afternoon of racing the Gold Coast has to offer is Hollindale Stakes Day, which is used as a platform to the bigger riches at Doomben and Eagle Farm over the next couple of months. Once again, Chris Waller has a strong hand in the $350,000 Group ll A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) with Junoob and Moriarty, both of which will be hoping that the weather clears up. The days other feature is the $175,000 Listed Prime Ministers Cup (1300m), a chance for the second tier sprinters to have the spotlight and hopefully aim towards races like the BTC Cup and Doomben 10,000.
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Race One (12:15) : Ethel Kerrison Birthday Handicap (85) 1200m
Back Me: Keen here on Lucky Sound in the opener. I was keen on him first up last prep, but trainer Tony Crane said in a pre race interview that he will improve off the run after a soft trial, then a solid trial, and it showed on race day. He looked the winner 200m out but fitness gave way late. To prepare for this prep he has had two slick trials, so that tells me he is wound up to win first up.
Big Danger: Monbazillac has been a very frustrating horse to follow for punters, not putting a win on the board in some time, but in recent years, the form from down South has dominated that of the locals when it comes to the carnival in Queensland, and her form does read well. Races best fresh, drawn well and gets back onto a firmer surface.
Roughie: Thefifthhole is a Gold Coast specialist, winning six races from 14 attempts. He’ll ping the barriers and look to lead all the way, as he did first up over the 1100m here a month back. Last 100m will be the worry with him, but that could be offset by the booking of Bossy.
Race Two (12:50) : Legassick Handicap (C6) 1400m
Back Me: Platinum State wasn’t really wanted in betting when resuming over the 1300m here, but he jumped well, sat on the speed and kicked strongly in the straight to record a comfortable win. That was his first run since the carnival last year where he was just behind the likes of Academus and Platinum Kingdom, so the ability and form is there. Could be a query of racing flat second up, but you have to take that first up win on face value, and it was impressive.
Big Danger: Substation ran second to Platinum State in that race and he was enormous in defeat, sitting all the wide with no cover, a task which is nearly impossible on this track, before pushing forward to lead and only going down in the last furlong. He is a horse who prefers to chase, so I think from the good draw, he’ll be smothered away and ready to pounce when the gap comes.
Roughie: More Leverage produced a similar sort of run to that of Substation, sitting wide, going to the front and going down late. Difference was that his run was at Eagle Farm at city level. He has really found his home here in Queensland at Toowoomba under the care of gun local trainer Ben Currie and the horse should get every chance from the beaut gate.
Race Three (13:25) : Moreton Hire Ken Russell Memorial 1200m
Back Me: Really keen on Aimee in this. She is one of the better youngsters Queensland has to offer at the moment and her record speaks for itself, winning three of five and placing in another. Was last seen at this track/distance back in mid March where she was outstanding, getting into a lovely spot from a wide draw and then savaging the line in the straight to win comfortably. Went to the trials last week and looked quite sharp there, so fitness levels are of no concern to me. She looks one of the better bets on the program.
Big Danger: Grapevine had no luck first up at Doomben, getting caught wide from the tough draw yet made up ground late without looking like a winning chance. Gets barrier one now and her home track, plus and extra furlong. Trial win prior was outstanding, so look for her to bounce back.
Roughie: Power De Ted did plenty wrong on debut in one of those 900m scampers here, but once he balanced up, he really attacked the line in the straight and was quite impressive. Big step up in depth here, and drawn wide, but he looks to have his fair share of ability, so don’t rule him out.
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Race Four (14:00) : H. Harvey Gold Coast Bracelet 1800m
Back Me: Asadauskaite for me here. Difficult name to say, but it’s not difficult to see that she is a potential Oaks candidate given how dominate she was over the 1800m at Kensington, sitting just off the speed before peeling and widening the margin with every stride in the straight. This is a pretty thin edition of the Bracelet, and I’m looking for a filly on the up, and this one clearly fits the bill.
Big Danger: Little Bit Ditsy was enormous in the Princess Stakes, sitting wide and near last throughout before making up a stack of ground late to only go down narrowly. She will love the rise to 1800m and a better draw, and looms as the main threat.
Roughie: Paris Match is a handy filly for Anthony Cummings who has been racing well without winning in recent times. Did a stack of work in the Keith Nolan and ended up only getting beat two lengths by Zanbagh, who went on to place in the Oaks, then went to the Adrian Knox and loomed to win, but didn’t handle the wet track yet ran well enough when fourth to Arabian Gold, who was a dominant winner of the Frank Packer last week. Should ease back from the wide draw, which is when she is at her best, and Bossy sticks.
Race Five (14:35) : Turangga Farm Silk Stocking 1200m
Back Me: Most interesting runner of the day for me in this Perth mare Platinum Rocker Had a wonderful campaign during the Summer, winning twice at blacktype level before being nutted in the last stride by Luckygray in the Railway. She looked ultra sharp in a recent barrier trial win at Belmont and Simon Miller is one of the best trainers Perth has to offer, so he wouldn’t bring this mare over for nothing. Form is better over a touch further, but the trial told me she is certainly forward enough to win.
Big Danger: You’d struggle to find a better bred horse going around this afternoon than La Pieta. By Redoute’s Choice out of multiple Group l winning mare Divine Madonna, and she showed she is on track to win her share of good races last prep when racing well against some handy horses and placing at stakes level at the end of her prep. She has trialled twice to prepare for her first up run, and Darley have a wonderful record in this race, so no doubt they have selected out this mare and targeted her for this and the second string fillies and mares races. Hard to beat.
Roughie: Saturn Rock has also been a real problem child. Brought over from NZ a couple of years back to contest the Thousand Guineas and couldn’t measure up, and hasn’t really set the world on fire ever since. She is with a new stable now, and seems to be enjoying herself off the back of a couple of trial placings. Did run a very good race fresh when last in work behind Champagne Cath, so I wouldn’t rule her out entirely.
Race Six (15:10) : Carlton Draught Prime Minister’s Cup 1300m
Back Me: Going for That’s The One. I was quite impressed by his debut run in Queensland when making up good ground late to run second to Benny’s Buttons on a heavy Doomben track, then never really got into the action when ninth in the Weetwood. Has promised to do some wonderful things during his career but hasn’t done that. I think he gets his chance here.
Big Danger: Dances On Stars was well backed at odds last start in the Star Kingdom and worked home nicely when fourth to Flamberge. Form out of that race has held up and he’ll love a fast run 1300m here. Looks a massive threat for an in form stable.
Roughie: Steel Zip is an absolute beauty for Pat Duff. He won’t win a Group l, but he always busts his gut and gets a win every now and then. Savaged the line to win two back at Doomben, then stormed home between runners in the Weetwood to run a narrow third to Typhoon Red. Extra distance and bigger track aids his cause, along with a strong tempo.
Race Seven (15:50) : Wimmers A.D Hollindale Stakes 1800m
Back Me: Putting the gallant mare Streama on top. Once upon a time she struggled beyond 1600m, but as she is getting older, she is racing as if she’ll appreciate the extra distance, as we saw by her closing third in the Queen Of The Turf to Diamond Drille and Gypsy Diamond. She is a multiple Group l winner who handles all conditions, and if she has maintained her form, she’ll just about take care of these.
Big Danger: Angel Of Mercy was ridden very confidently by Browne in the Members Cup last start at Eagle Farm and for a little while it looked quite nasty, but she eventually got clear and won comfortably. She has plenty of upside left and the stable are absolutely flying at the moment.
Roughie: The real interesting runner here is Precedence. Hasn’t raced since finishing a tired sixth in the Zipping Classic, but looked quite sharp in a recent trial placing at Cranbourne behind Fieldmaster. 1800m first up is interesting for him given he normally races at 1200m-1400m fresh, so that tells me he is quite forward. At his best, he can win.
Race Eight (16:30) : Attwood Marshall Gold Coast Guineas 1400m
Back Me: Best bet on the program in the shape of Enquare. I’ll assume that trainer Jason McLachlan has the Qld Guineas in mind for this horse, but I reckon he’d be a serious lightweight chance in the Stradbroke. He took all before him during the Summer, winning race after race, then finished the campaign off with a slashing third to Sweet Idea and Estonian Princess. Spelled, trialled last week on his home track at the Sunny Coast and went like a bomb, winning by nearly six lengths in smart time. Horrible draw doesn’t help, but gee I like him alot.
Big Danger: Dothraki trialled really well on a couple of occasions prior to his resuming run in the Gosford Guineas where he ran a close up third to In Cahoots before going to the Royal Sovereign and finding the class a touch rich when fifth to Sidestep. I also think that wet tracks aren’t his go, so getting back to a firmer ground, Nash on board, drawn well, and under the weights scale, he is thrown in. If the top tip doesn’t get luck from the barrier, this one will just about win.
Roughie: Havana resumed as a gelding and bolted in at Canterbury. Then he was freshened up, trialled, and didn’t look all that flash in the trial, but was very good late in the Royal Sovereign after being fairly ordinary out of the gates. He has promised to be at the pointy end of some good races, and he gets his chance here.
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Best Bet: Race Eight Number 10 Enquare
Next Best: Race Three Number 8 Aimee
Best Roughie: Race Six Number 10 That’s The One
Quaddie Tips (Races Five Through To Eight):
Leg One: 1, 5, 6, 7, 15, 16
Leg Two: 2, 3, 4, 5, 10
Leg Three: 1, 2, 6, 10, 11
Leg Four: 2, 7, 10
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All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.
News:
A wet Gold Coast track should help Mr O’Ceirin give jockey Glen Boss a happy homecoming in the Hollindale Stakes.
Boss has come a long way since he was the Gold Coast’s leading apprentice 25 years ago.
The multiple Group One and three-time Melbourne Cup winner, who was apprenticed to Kaye Tinsley in the late 1980s, has won most of the Coast’s feature races including three Prime Minister’s Cups and the 2001 Hollindale Cup on Shogun Lodge.
The track seems certain to be at least slow after a storm hit the Gold Coast on Friday dumping more rain on top of the 32mm it had already received.
Melbourne trainer Ciaron Maher, who is making his first visit to Queensland on Saturday, believes the conditions will favour Mr O’Ceirin.
The gelding has the best wet track form in the race with seven starts on slow or heavy tracks for four wins.
“Mr O’Ceirin loves the sting out of the tracks and some of the others don’t handle wet tracks,” Maher said.
“There doesn’t seem to be much early pace and hopefully Mr O’Ceirin can get across from his wide alley.”
“He has a high cruising speed and in a couple of 1700-metre races during the spring he has been up there in fifth when the leaders were going very hard. If he has to lead it won’t be a worry.”
However, Maher believes the real advantage is having Boss aboard Mr O’Ceirin who has drawn the outside alley.
“Glen knows this horse very well and Mr O’Ceirin goes best for him,” he said.
Boss and Mr O’Ceirin combined to win the Naturalism Stakes at Caulfield last spring.
Mr O’Ceirin, who was unplaced in the Victoria Hcp (1400m) on April 19, has an excellent second-up record winning three and being placed twice in six attempts.
“The Naturalism win was second-up and he does go well with one run under his belt,” Maher said.
If Mr O’Ceirin races well he will press on to the Eagle Farm Cup (2200m) on May 31 and the Brisbane Cup (2400m) on June 8.
New Zealand trainer Shaune Ritchie believes his top stayer Military Move will handle a slow Hollindale track but doesn’t want it too wet.
“We don’t think it is a stellar Hollindale but we just hope he runs a nice race and then it might be on to the Eagle Farm Stakes at weight-for-age,” Ritchie said.
Meanwhile, veteran stayer Precedence will be headed to the Brisbane Cup when he gives the Bart and James Cummings partnership its first Queensland starter in the Hollindale.
Bart Cummings is no stranger to Queensland having won many major races including the Prime Minister’s Cup with Ngawyni but he has never taken out a Hollindale.
