One of the great races Brisbane has to offer is the $500,000 Group l Titan Energy Services Doomben Cup (2000m), and it has got a high class honour roll…Rough Habit, Intergaze, Might And Power, Danewin and Durbridge to name a few. Come Saturday afternoon, another name will be etched along this impressive list. The two popular gallopers in betting are the up and coming star, Leebaz, and the evergreen mare Streama, who may well be running her last race.

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Race One (12:10) : QLD Reef And Beef Handicap (95) 1200m

Back Me: Putting Gundy Son on top here. It has been a while since he has greeted the judge, but it has been a while since he has contested a race as weak as this. Throughout his career he has raced at Stakes level, and has been competitive, but rarely won. He gets a great chance here I think despite the barrier.
Big Danger: Veewap stirred himself up in the barriers before his Queensland debut for Rob Heathcoate yet it didn’t seem to faze the veteran given he sat back and made up good ground late. Did trial well before that behind last weeks impressive stakes winner Agitate, so there is plenty of zip left in those eight year old legs of his, plus he draws the paint here and gets a senior rider.
Roughie: Black Cash hasn’t been seen since the Spring, where the highlight was winning the Subzero Challenge at Flemington on Oaks Day despite sitting wide with no cover. He came back home and ran three more times and by then, he probably had enough and was looking for a break. I think whatever he does here, he will improve on, but the class factor will help his winning claims.

Race Two (12:45) : Channel Seven Dalrello Stakes 1200m

Back Me: Bassillique was a dominant debut winner at Stakes grade in the Phelan Ready, then forget his run in the Bruce McLachlan where he wasn’t 100%. He has trialled three times leading up to his return to racing and has gotten better with each hitout, with the latter of the three resulting in a good win. The booking of Nash is a very positive lead also, so I’m happy to be in his corner.
Big Danger: Runkle worked home very well on debut at Kensington behind a future Group l winner in Saravejo, then went to Hawkesbury and bumped into another Darley future Group l winner in the shape of Meursault. Massive drop in depth here, and despite the tricky draw, she looms as a serious threat.
Roughie: Vienna Royale was touted as the Magic Millions winner after a brilliant debut win here over 1000m, but he never really put it together after that and ended up running an even sixth to Unencumbered in the big race. He has been gelded during the break and is yet to trial, so he is the watch horse for me.

Race Three (13:20) : Gallopers Sports Club Lancaster Stakes 1200m 

Back Me: First of two good things on the card for me here in the shape of Kalabek, who amazed everyone on debut at Caulfield with a stunning last to first win after missing the kick and peeled the widest on the home turn. Second horse won during the Warrnambool Carnival, so the form has held up, and with all things being equal, she is just better than these. First time racing clockwise and first trip away are the obvious worries, but I think she has the ability to overcome that.
Big Danger: Sarisara did a power of work in the Ken Russell on the Gold Coast and the effort just told late when it looked as if she was going to be right in the finish. She still ran a 2.8L fourth, so her run was excellent nonetheless. Unbeaten at the track and will appreciate a firmer surface.
Roughie: Outside the top two, the race drops away, but I haven’t minded the way Tales Of Fashion has trialled leading up to her return to racing. Blake Shinn being booked is a good lead, drawn well and has very good early toe, so she’ll make her own luck.

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Race Four (13:55) : Designline Graphics Juanmo Stakes 1200m

Back Me: Question you have to ask here is whether or not She’s Clean is a four lengths better horse than these…I think the answer, on her best form, is yes, and I’ll gamble on the hope she does bring her best form. In saying that, her best form hasn’t been seen since the Spring where she was racing alongside the likes of Arinosa, Plucky Belle and White Sage. She was last seen in the Wiggle Stakes when down the track behind Catkins. Freshened up, trialled well, Nash on board, rails gate and has these covered class wise. Will she bring her A-Game?
Big Danger: Miniature was tragedy viewing in the J H B Carr when she was badly held up behind tired runners and only really got clear late, but the race was done and dusted by then. McDonald takes the ride now, should get a lovely trail from the gate and is relatively new into her prep, so there should be plenty of upside left.
Roughie: She Can Skate had a very good record in Melbourne early on in her career, but was quite disappointing during the Spring albeit in much harder company than this. Now trained at Deagon by Vicki Chalmers and has won two barrier trials in good style recently to suggest she can run a forward race.

Race Five (14:30) : Ascend Sales Trophies Fred Best Classic 1350m

Back Me: Sticking solid with Enquare despite his first up defeat in the Gold Coast Guineas where he had no luck, getting caught wide on the speed and feeling the pinch late. I think getting back onto a firmer surface will help, as will getting cover, which is what Byrne will try and do. He is a very good horse who can bounce back to winning form.
Big Danger: Hucklebuck hasn’t been seen since finishing a fair eighth in the Australian Guineas behind Shamus Award where he didn’t pull up 100%. Trialled brilliant late last month at Gawler to prepare for a QLD campaign, and when it comes to natural talent in this race, he has them covered. Races best fresh, and despite this being his first run clockwise, he has the class and ability to win.
Roughie: Havana let punters down last week as a heavily backed favourite in the Mick Dittman, but I don’t think a fast run 1200m is his go given he is a horse who is better over this distance and slightly further. Expect him to be ridden just off the speed from the good draw and like last week, attack the line late.

Race Six (15:05) : XXXX Gold The Roses 2000m

Back Me: Under the set weights scale, Arabian Gold ooks the winner here against this lot. Early on in the Autumn, she had really lost her way and was struggling for form. She was freshened up after the Keith Nolan, trialled very well and subsequently has impressively won the Adrian Knox and Frank Packer against superior opposition to what she faces here. Only bad luck will beat her.
Big Danger: Speaking to Kris Lees a few weeks back, he told me that Hera would be heading to Brisbane and that whatever she did in Sydney, she’d improve big time on. Well he must have been licking his lips after the filly produced a slick fourth to Estonian Princess in the James Carr over an unsuitable trip. Her form from NZ stands up very well for this and looms as the logical winner if the top tip isn’t on her game.
Roughie: Interesting runner is Cruz By for Brian Smith. Was a dominant winner at Eagle Farm three back, then failed in the Gunsynd behind Hopfgarten before going back in grade and winning impressively at the Sunshine Coast. She is bred to stay all day and will be hitting the line hard late.

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Race Seven (15:40) : Titan Energy Services Doomben Cup 2000m

Back Me: Streama goes on top for me here. She has been one of the real star mares in recent times, racing consistently each campaign, but it had been a while since she greeted the judge…that was until last start at the Gold Coast in the Hollindale where she really attacked the line late to nab Mr O’Ceirin close to home. That was 1800m on a heavy track and was very strong through the line, so 2000m here shouldn’t be a worry and has many lengths of class on these. Clear horse to beat in my eyes.
Big Danger: It’s only a matter of when, not if, Leebaz will win a Group l. Like a typical Hawkes runner, he has gone through his grades, built up his confidence and comes to the big stage at the right time of his career. I wouldn’t say it was a dominant Hawkesbury Cup win last time out, but he did find plenty when challenged, the sign of a very good horse. Team Hawkes wouldn’t have pursued further this prep if they didn’t think he could win, so you have to respect their judgement.
Roughie: Akzar has been an absolute revelation since joining Darren Weir. Once upon a time, he was a real plodder battling to win in the bush after being brought here as a Cups prospect by Lloyd Williams a few years back. Fast forward to a couple of a weeks back, and I doubt you’d see a more dominant and arrogant Country Cup win when he won the Warrnambool Cup. The WFA scenario is the concern with him, but he can handle a wet track if the rain comes and has a lethal turn of foot.

Race Eight (16:20) : Darley BRC Sprint 1350m

Back Me: Dances On Stars was a soft winner of the Prime Ministers Cup on the Gold Coast after getting a dream trail off a good tempo. He had previously struggled when racing North of the Tweed, but he is a much, much better horse now and is certainly capable of being competitive in the Stradbroke, but would need to win this first, and I think he can.
Big Danger: Knock knock…has anyone seen Fire Up Fifi? I thought she was in for a Group l winning Autumn after her slashing first up run behind Tiger Tees, but in three subsequent runs, she has been dreadful. I will say though that the horses she has been racing against this time in are all Group l class, and there certainly isn’t any here at the moment, so she has to go in as a threat provided she brings best form.
Roughie: One horse who could surprise is the Serene Lodge runner Transporter. I didn’t mind his first up run behind Dances On Stars given he was ridden a touch closer to the speed than normal and was on a heavy track, which he doesn’t appreciate. He doesn’t mind the cut out of the ground, but nothing major, so the conditions here suit him perfectly. Have something on him each-way at massive odds.

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Best Bet: Race Six Number 1 Arabian Gold

Next Best: Race Three Number 6 Kalabek

Best Roughie: Race One Number 6 Gundy Son

Quaddie Tips (Races Five Through To Eight):

Leg One: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 12

Leg Two: 1

Leg Three: 4, 7, 8

Leg Four: 4, 5, 8, 13, 14, 15

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News:

Ways to boost the Group One Doomben Cup will be among of the priorities in a review of the Brisbane winter carnival.

Racing Queensland chief executive Darren Condon confirmed there would be a major review at the end of this year’s carnival including race dates, sponsorship and weight scales.

Condon said the Doomben Cup, which has just 10 runners on Saturday, would be closely looked at.

The now defunct Brisbane Turf Club switched the Cup from a handicap to a weight-for-age race in 1990.

It was designed to attract what was a vintage crop of weight-for-age middle distance horses at the time including Vo Rogue, Stylish Century, Super Impose and Better Loosen Up.

While none of those horses were enticed into the race the wfa idea proved a winner with top class gallopers such as Rough Habit, Might and Power, Durbridge, Danewin and Intergaze winning the Cup during the 1990s.

However, in the past decade the Cup has dropped away with only two of the 10 runners in Saturday’s race already Group One winners, early favourite Streama and $81 chance Fat Al.

“One thing we need to look at is how to maximise the spin-off the Doomben Cup gets from the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney,” Condon said.

“At the moment we are not getting some of the better horses out of the Queen Elizabeth. But does that mean we should move a race such as the Hollindale Cup at the Gold Coast to run the Doomben Cup earlier?”

“It would be ideal if Queen Elizabeth runners could go on to our Cup and then go for their winter spell before a Cox Plate campaign.”

Condon also conceded that for all winter carnival races apart from the $1 million Group One Stradbroke Handicap, prize money was becoming an issue.

“We are starting to get a major gap between us and the south but that is something else we will be reviewing,” he said.