Revealed: Think About It and I Wish I Win face weighty task against history with Stradbroke Handicap weights

I Wish I Win and Think About It have been hit hard by the handicapper, while race favourite Antino will get into the Stradbroke with a winners weight after handicappers released their ratings on Monday.

Think About It will get a half-kilo advantage on I Wish I Win in the Stradbroke next month. Picture: Grant Peters — Trackside Photography.

Think About It will have to defy history to go back-to-back in the $3m Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap next month after handicappers hit him with 58kg in the feature event.

Racing Queensland chief handicapper Nathan Bourke released the weights of 126 horses on Monday, with the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained I Wish I Win hit with the top weight of 58.5kg.

No horse has carried more than 56kg to victory to win the race since Rough Habit in 1992 with 15 of the last 22 winners carrying 54kg or less.

Think About It carried 54kg to victory 12 months ago, however his Everest-winning sprint, which saw him become one of Australia’s best sprinters left Bourke with no option but to penalise him.

THINK ABOUT IT WINS THE STRADBROKE HANDICAP! 🏆

What a [e-mail]/QX8xtfEmeF

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) June 10, 2023

READ| Pride reveals Stradbroke defence on agenda for Think About It

The Joe Pride-trained gelding could end up with the top weight, with connections of I Wish I Win originally planning on a two-run campaign in Queensland, which culminated in Saturday’s Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup.

The Kingsford Smith Cup is a penalty free race for the Stradbroke two weeks later.

Race favourite Antino ($6) received 54kg, putting him right in the sweet spot to win the race his trainer Tony Gollan has always craved.

Think About It could be the top weight, with I Wish I Win likely to spell after Saturday. Picture: Grant Peters — Trackside Photography

His stablemate Freedom Rallyfaces an uphill battle into the race, sitting 61 in the order of entry with 51kg, meaning he will have to win a race to enter the top 40 on ballot order to make him eligible for Australian Bloodstock’s slot that they hold thanks to Dream Hour winning The Gateway during the summer.

* Benedetta to bypass Kingsford-Smith to prepare for Stradbroke

Doomben 10,000 surprise packet Stefi Magnetica sits on the cusp of getting a run, sitting 24th on the order of entry, carrying an irresistible 49.5kg.

She can secure a golden ticket into the Stradbroke by winning the Group 3 Fred Best Classic (1400m) on Saturday, where she is an equal $4 favourite with Schwarz, who is 66th on the order of entry.

Fred Best plunge horse Steparty has been backed from $15 into $8 for Saturday, and is 31st on the order of entry with 50kg.

Originally published as Revealed: Think About It and I Wish I Win face weighty task against history with Stradbroke Handicap weights