The $3million Group I BRC Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm has drawn a full field plus emergencies with the favourite Think About It drawing midfield in gate 12, while his main opposition is expected to come from his three year-old rivals.
Think About It’s sire So You Think has three runners in the rich sprint with Victorian raider Gentleman Roy drawn to give a great sight from gate 2 with Craig Williams to ride, while the Chris Munce trained mare Palaisipan is coming off a complete forgive run last start and could easily fill a place at her best.
A good case can be made for the three year-olds with the Maher and Eustace trained fillies Ruthless Dame and Royal Merchant both Group I winners coming out of Adelaide, while Aft Cabin looked sensational in his final trial before leaving Sydney and has been fourth in two previous attempts at Group I level.
The horse with the x factor is Hawaii Five Oh and as a blueblood colt by champion sire I Am Invincible, he’s the horse in this field for whom a win will mean the most.
His full sister Libertini was undoubtedly Group I class, but died before she could put an elite win on the board and his mum Aloha won the Group I ATC Coolmore Classic, so Hawaii Five Oh is bred to do the job and with 49.5kg and gate 3 will never get a better opportunity in a G1 race.
No – Horse (Sire) – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight
2 – SUPERSTORM (Sebring) – Lauren Abbott – James Orman – 16 – 56.5kg
3 – VILANA (Hallowed Crown) – James Cummings – James McDonald – 15 – 56kg
4 – SCALLOPINI (Snitzel) – Steve O'Dea & Matt Hoysted – Boris Thornton – 8 – 55.5kg
5 – CONVERGE (Frankel) – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott – Tim Clark – 17 – 55.5kg
6 – SURF DANCER (Lope de Vega)– Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott – Ryan Maloney – 7 – 54.5kg
7 – GENTLEMAN ROY (So You Think) – Ben & JD Hayes – Craig Williams – 2 – 54.5kg
8 – ELEVEN ELEVEN (Fastnet Rock) – Greg Hickman – Jason Collett – 20 – 54.5kg
9 – THINK ABOUT IT (So You Think) – Joe Pride – Sam Clipperton – 12 – 54kg
10 – CARDINAL GEM (Choisir)– Grahame Begg – Jordan Childs – 6 – 54kg
11 – HOLYFIELD ( I Am Invincible)– Annabel Neasham – Damien Thornton – 21 – 53.5kg
12 – AFT CABIN (Astern) – James Cummings – Kerrin McEvoy – 19 – 53kg
13 – ROYAL MERCHANT (Merchant Navy) – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace – Ben Thompson – 14 – 52.5kg
14 – RUTHLESS DAME (Tavistock) – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace – Michael Dee – 13 – 52.5kg
15 – CHAIN OF LIGHTNING (Fighting Sun) – Peter Moody – Linda Meech – 18 – 52kg
16 – PALAISIPAN (So You Think) – Chris Munce – Kyle Wilson-Taylor – 11 – 52kg
17 – TICK TOCK QUEEN (Bel Espri) – Tony Gollan – Angela Jones – 4 – 51kg
18 – HAWAII FIVE OH (I Am Invincible) – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott – Rachel King – 3 – 49.5kg
19e – ALPINE EDGE (Better Than Ready)– Toby & Trent Edmonds – Martin Harley – 5 – 53kg
20e – OPAL RIDGE (Rubick) – Luke Pepper – Tyler Schiller – 10 – 49.5kg
21e – DRAGON LEAP (Pierro) – Lance O'Sullivan & Andrew Scott – TBA – 1 – 53kg
22e – SINAWANN (Kingman)– Anthony & Sam Freedman – TBA – 9 – 53kg
23e – YELLOW BRICK (The Mission) – Tony & Maddysen Sears – TBA – 22 – 51kg
