Doomben 10,000 2017: Matt Stewart previews the big Group 1 sprint

FIELD/BETTING: THE Snowdens can emerge from the Doomben mud with 10,000 reasons to smile, while the SA Derby looks ripe for the fresh horses on the scene.

THE Snowdens can emerge from the Doomben mud with 10,000 reasons to smile, writes Matt Stewart.

The Group 1 sprint has attracted a strong field after being reduced from 1350m to 1200m. Peter and Paul Snowden hold the aces with classy three-year-old Russian Revolution and flying machine Redzel.

Stewart’s Herald Sun stablemate Michael Manley is with Russian Revolution in the 10,000, while he is confident Odeon can grab victory in the Group 1 South Australian Derby at Morphettville.

WEEKEND BEST BETS

THE EARLY OIL: CAULFIELD

NATHAN’S RACEBOOK: DOOMBEN PREVIEW

THE FACTORS

Track: Soft 7. Rail: True

Weather: 24 degrees, possible showers

THE SPEED

REDZEL has wings on his feet and will lead. MUSIC MAGNATE will push forward and sit just off him, from RUSSIAN REVOLUTION and EL DIVINO

THE FIELD

$700,000 DOOMBEN 10,000 (1200m)

Saturday, Race 7, 4.04pm

1 FELL SWOOP 14 M Dale D Browne 58.5kg

2 JAPONISME 1 C Waller L Cassidy 58.5kg

3 TAKEDOWN 15 G Moore B Avdulla 58.5kg

4 REBEL DANE 10 G Portelli R Fradd 58.5kg

5 MUSIC MAGNATE 7 B Baker J Lloyd 58.5kg

6 REDZEL 3 P & P Snowden J Byrne 58.5kg

7 COUNTERATTACK 2 C Waller O Bosson 58.5kg

8 START WONDERING 8 E & J Rayner J Parkes 58.5kg

9 UPSTART PRIDE 12 M Nolan R Stewart 58.5kg

10 THE MONSTAR 9 B Cavanough J Orman 58.5kg

11 SOOBOOG 4 D Weir Scratched 58.5kg

12 RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 5 P & P Snowden K McEvoy 57kg

13 DERRYN 6 D & B Hayes & T Dabernig R Bayliss 57kg

14 EL DIVINO 11 D Weir M Cahill 57kg

15 IN HER TIME 13 B Smith J Parr 56.5kg

BETTING: TAB FIXED ODDS

THE SKINNY

FELL SWOOP

Reliable top-tier sprinter chasing elusive first Group 1. Gate makes it a bit sticky but almost guaranteed top-five finisher.

Trainer Matthew Dale’ sprinter Fell Swoop is right in the mix for a Group 1 win.

JAPONISME

Almost time to stop forgiving. Can’t even escape the bog tracks that have been bogging him down in Sydney.

TAKEDOWN

Elephant who might slowly be stripping fitter. Dominant type on his day but suspect he needs firm going, like he found in Perth last November, where he won the Winterbottom Stakes.

REBEL DANE

The farewell carnival for Gary Portelli’s perennial little star. Down significantly on best form of late. Blinkers come off. Maybe a place.

MUSIC MAGNATE

Seems the fresh horse on the scene after a light Sydney autumn, with an eye to Brisbane. Didn’t beat any big names first-up in the Victory Stakes here but was dominant and won this race last year.

REDZEL

Peter and Paul Snowden’s flying machine who loves the wet. And for a speedster, he’s very courageous. Will be swinging right to the end.

COUNTERATTACK

Returned to form out of nowhere last start, when a close second to Redzel in the Hall Mark Stakes at boggy Randwick. Blinkers go back on, he loves the wet. Yes.

START WONDERING

The New Zealand form reads well, via a win and a second at Group 1 at last two starts, and Kiwis do tend to fire here in winter, but the formlines are hard to measure. Has won on wet.

Redzel will relish the soft conditions at Doomben on Saturday.

UPSTART PRIDE

Consistent but this looks a giant leap in grade from an unplaced run in the Weetwood Handicap at Toowoomba last start.

THE MONSTAR

Bobs up every now and then and would be a lovely sign-off for soon-to-be-retired trainer Brett Cavanough. But, no.

SOOBOOG (Scratched)

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

Form has been great in the right races all carnival — then the T J Smith Stakes flop last start, when appeared particularly fizzed up in the run. Can turn it around.

DERRYN

Not top grade but consistent and handles soft. Fringe chance.

EL DIVINO

Winx’s so-so little brother, unplaced in a lesser race in Adelaide last start. Gets the blinkers. Does have ability, just nowhere near as much as his sibling. My brother knows the feeling.

IN HER TIME

Certainly knows how to win. But this is much harder than the recent unplaced effort against the mares in the Coolmore Classic. No.

MATT STEWART TIPS

1) REDZEL

2) Russian Revolution

3) Fell Swoop

4) Derryn

THE GROUP 1s

MICHAEL MANLEY looks at Saturday’s big races at Doomben and Morphettville.

DOOMBEN 10,000 (1200m)

Race 7, Doomben, 4.04pm

Hard to go past the perfectly placed by Peter and Paul Snowden three-year-old colt RUSSIAN REVOLUTION (12). He was slightly disappointing in the T.J. Smith Stakes but over-raced when he led and set a cracking speed. He should be able to tuck in behind stablemate REDZEL (6) who he defeated two starts ago to win the Galaxy at Randwick. Russian Revolution has won five of his seven starts. Redzel broke for his first win over 1200m last start. MUSIC MAGNATE (5) won this race last year when it was a 1350m race. He has four wins from seven tries over 1200m. FELL SWOOP (1) has to contend with an outside barrier but there should be good speed and he might be able to gain a good spot. Enigmatic galloper COUNTERATTACK (7) was unlucky behind Redzel last start and blinkers go on again.

TIPS: 1. RUSSIAN REVOLUTION (12) 2. Redzel 3. Music Magnate 4. Fell Swoop

BEST ROUGHIE: Counterattack

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DERBY (2500m)

Race 7 Morphettville, 4.25pm

Happy to go with the fresh horses on the scene who have been targeted at this race rather than horses who competed in Sydney such as RUTHVEN (1) and ANAHEIM (4). ODEON (5) has had a faultless preparation and is emerging as a stayer of the future. He finished an unlucky second behind GRAND CHANCELLOR (3) two starts ago and followed that with an impressive win over 2000m at Caulfield defeating useful older stayers. He’s well drawn and will have the services of the emerging superstar jockey Damian Lane. Another promising Victorian stayer NETHERFIELD (13) had little luck when he finished second to WAGING WAR (2) in the Chairman’s Stakes at Morphettville as he was held up for a run for most of the straight. He has the services of Damien Oliver. Ruthven finished a close fourth in the ATC Derby before running second at Caulfield. Locals Grand Chancellor and Waging War are bred to stay and are racing well. Darren Weir’s pair VOLATILE MIX (12) and ROCKSTAR REBEL (17) should be suited by the 2500m.

TIPS: 1. ODEON 2. Netherland 3. Ruthven 4. Waging War

BEST ROUGHIE: Rockstar Rebel

Originally published as Doomben 10,000 2017: Matt Stewart previews the big Group 1 sprint