Stradbroke Season form continues to prove strong
With a rare Friday raceday taking centre stage at Eagle Farm last week, the eyes of thoroughbred fans were cast south on Saturday to meetings at the Gold Coast, Royal Randwick and Caulfield.
Punters did not have to look hard for some Queensland flavour with notable Stradbroke Season competitors taking more spring spoils.
In the Group 2 The Shorts, a race which was labelled “The Mini Everest”, Doomben 10,000 winner Eduardo was once again able to overwhelm Horse of the Year Nature Strip first up from a spell.
Eduardo eye-balled the Everest favourite for much of the trip and when Nature Strip couldn’t put him away halfway up the running, Eduardo had the necessary will and ability to overwhelm him.
The Doomben 10,000 has proven a valuable form reference in the four years The Everest has been run, with Redzel having run in the Doomben race in each of the two years he won The Everest and now Eduardo is primed to add to that proud record.
In the same race, Queensland Everest hopeful Rothfire made his return to racing, having his first race start since last year’s Golden Rose. The Robert Heathcote trained gelding ran a gallant fourth in a pleasing return given he is proven to be far superior on firmer ground. He will now run in the Premiere Stakes in a fortnight to round out his Everest preparation.
Further south and Sierra Sue notched her maiden Group 1 success when landing the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield. She had previously won the Group 2 Lawrence Stakes this preparation after campaigning in Brisbane during Stradbroke season, where she raced three times at Eagle Farm.
Another notable mention on Saturday was Bella Nipotina who claimed the Group 3 How Now Stakes at Caulfield under the steer of Stradbroke Handicap winning jockey Craig Williams. Williams partnered the Maher and Eustace trained mare to a close third in the Group 3 W.J Healy Stakes during the Queensland carnival.
She becomes the 12th stakes winner in Victoria or New South Wales this season to have campaigned during the highly successful Stradbroke season.
Congratulations to the connections of Eduardo, Sierra Sue and Bella Nipotina for their successes at the weekend and good luck heading further into the spring carnival.
Stradbroke Season competitors to win stakes races so far in 2021-22:
Phobetor
The Astrologist
Tiger Of Mallay
SIERRA SUE (GROUP 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes)
Private Eye
Zaaki
Ranch Hand
Giannis
Splintex
INCENTIVISE (GROUP 1 Makybe Diva Stakes)
Eduardo
Bella Nipotina