The Stradbroke Handicap is a Group 1 race held each year in Brisbane at Eagle Farm Racecourse. Run over 1400 metres for $1,360,000 in prize money, this event is a major part of the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival. The Stradbroke Handicap has been run since 1890, making it one of the oldest thoroughbred races on the Queensland calendar.
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The Stradbroke Handicap is named after Lord Stradbroke, relative to Henry John Rous, originator of the weight-for-age scale in thoroughbred racing. Originally run over a distance of 6 furlongs, this event became a 7 furlong race in 1953 and a 1400 metre race in 1972 with the advent of the metric system. The inaugural race was won by Pyrrhus, with a number of other notable names winning this event over the years.
Some well known horses to have won this event include Rough Habit in 1991 and 1992, All Our Mob in 1994, and Dane Ripper in 1997. A number of horses have also managed to win the Stradbroke Handicap more than once, including Gold Tie in 1918-19, Highland in 1925-26, Petrol Lager in 1934-35, Lucky Ring in 1949-50, Rough Habit in 1991-92, and Black Piranha in 2009-10.
In recent times, winners of the Stradbroke Handicap include Sincero in 2011, Mid Summer Music in 2012, and Linton in 2013. Stradbroke Handicap Day is the biggest day of the year at Eagle Farm Racecourse, with a total of three Group 1 races held on the day. Along with the Stradbroke Handicap, racegoers can also look forward to the Queensland Derby for three-year-olds and The JJ Atkins for two-year-olds.
Possible lead-up races for the Stradbroke Handicap include the Group 1 Doomben 10000 at Doomben and the Group 2 QTC Cup at Eagle Farm Racecourse. Private Steer in 2003, Show A Heart in 2002, Adam in 1999, All Our Mob in 1994, and Rough Habit in 1992 all finished runner-up in the Doomben 10000 prior to winning this race.
Stradbroke Handicap 2014 odds comparison
News:
Red Tracer’s undeniable claims to Saturday’s Stradbroke Handicap are tempered by one startling statistic.
The outstanding mare has won 12 stakes races but only one of those, her 2012 Premiere Stakes victory, was achieved against the males.
It’s an anomaly trainer Chris Waller is keen for Red Tracer to rectify at Eagle Farm.
“In the George Ryder this year, the Doncaster last year, the Emirates one year, they were all against the boys and they’ve all been her downfall,” Waller said.
“But they’ve all been at the end of her prep as well.”
Waller could have taken the easier option with Red Tracer and bypassed the Stradbroke in favour of the Dane Ripper Stakes on the same program.
He concedes she would have been virtually unbeatable in that race.
But a desire to run his best horses in the best possible races swayed him to give her another chance to topple the males.
“She’d win the Dane Ripper again every day of the week but she’s got two Group One wins next to her name and what’s another Group Two going to do for Red Tracer? No disrespect for the race but it’s not going to do anything to her value,” Waller said.
“This allows Red Tracer to run for $1 million in prize money and she’s a very good horse.
“And she’s got a Group One (Tatt’s Tiara) in two weeks as well when she can come back to fillies and mares grade.”
Red Tracer will be one of at least two Stradbroke runners for Waller along with Velrosso and possibly Masthead who is first emergency.
All three have drawn wide with Masthead and Red Tracer alongside one another in gates 15 and 16 and Velrosso in 21.
Three-year-olds Srikandi and Hucklebuck remained the TAB’s $5 equal favourites on race eve with Red Tracer a $9 chance.
Srikandi’s jockey Glen Boss believes Red Tracer and Darley four-year-old Knoydart, fifth in the Doomben 10,000, will be the hardest for the filly to beat at the weights.
The last filly to win the Stradbroke was Private Steer in 2003 when Boss rode her at 48kg.
Srikandi has 51kg, five kilograms less than Red Tracer and 2.5kg less than Knoydart.
“She is only getting five kilograms off proper Group One mares like Red Tracer so it’s her real big test,” Boss said.
“Red Tracer has been flying and has had a freshen-up and two great trials and I thought Knoydart in the 10,000 was super.
Field:
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