Brisbane: Comprehensive preview of every race at Doomben

A COMPREHENSIVE preview of every race for Saturday’s meet at Doomben with Greg Spletter

Straturbo. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

Race 1

ROYAL TITHE was very disappointing here last start as the odds-on favourite, running home when it was all too late into third spot some length and a quarter from the winner. Suited by the step out to a mile tomorrow and this is a very weak two-year-old. Drawn a great barrier and this is her last chance to win one before I jump off. INVINCIBOY is still a maiden but did beat the favourite home last time finishing close-up behind Snow Fields. Has to know if that was a fluke as his earlier runs this prep were uninspiring. Too close to the favourite in betting at $5.50 for mine but has a hope. PERSISTENT SHADOW made steady ground in the same race a fortnight ago and was hot on the heels of Royal Tithe on the line. Only victory to date was at Mackay but as aforementioned this is not strong.

Race 2

IN A JIFFY is an interesting runner here from down south and should go well. Finished fourth behind Get On The Grange in a stronger Bm75 here two weeks ago and that followed a woeful effort at Canterbury. Previous form on top of the ground is good and from the good gate she will be in the firing line on straightening. Nice each way bet at double figure odds. SHOW DAY battled on okay behind Fuerza last start at his third run back from a break and jumps out with the same weight here after the claim. Has an ordinary strike rate and no value at $7.00 but is one of the hopes. PANNO ROSSA scored an easy win at Murwillumbah two starts ago then stepped up to a tougher assignment at the Gold Coast and repeated the dose. This is tougher again and he’s up another 2kg but he is going very well.

Race 3

The $10 available about JUST A BULLET is too good to knock back and he will give this a shake. Resumed up here with a narrow all the way win aver I Am Boss at Toowoomba under 55.5kg, and second-up last prep he finished third to Heatherly and Politeness in the Group Two Rubiton Stakes. Sure that may have been a fluke but this is only a 1MW and he has already indicated his form level with a first-up win. Well drawn and can lead all the way at great odds. DAME DESTINY has been in top form this campaign but the horrid draw here will test her out. Led all the way to beat an okay 0MW field here two weeks ago but drew perfectly that day. Even with five emergencies here she may not come in far as most of them have drawn outside her and if she tries to come across a capacity field she will knock up early. KLAMMER ran a cheeky race behind Dame Destiny last time and gets 3kg off up to the stronger class tomorrow. Drawn awkwardly as well but can take a sit and save it for one crack at them in the straight.

Race 4

STRATURBO finally cracked it for a win up here two runs back winning the Chief de Beers very impressively on a good-4. Not a bad effort at Flemington last start on the soft-5, particularly as he hasn’t won in nine attempts on rain affected ground. From the perfect draw here if he strikes a dry track he wins again. THE MONSTAR is a handy Victorian who resumed with a nice win up here three weeks ago at the Sunshine Coast beating an average Bm90 field under 59kg. He does have a better record in the wet, but his form down south on dry tracks was pretty good. Beaten less than two lengths in the G2 Schillaci, a length in the Kensington Stakes. He’s well up to these. ESPIRITU has likely been trying to dodge wet tracks of late and can be competitive in open class if she gets the right conditions. Two runs back she beat all but Whiskey Allround in the Falvelon Quality and with only 52kg and the inside draw she should have plenty in the tank on straightening. Saver material at $11.

Steel Zip (grey horse). Picture: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography

Race 5

The Tony Gollan stable has a stranglehold on this race and I’ve tipped his trio to run the trifecta. STELLA DI NOTTE wasn’t beaten all that far at her first hitout for 10 months here last time, finishing three lengths from Rough Eddie over 1200m. Showed ability as a juvenile winning a nice race at Ipswich and racing competitively in the Listed Phoenix here over this trip. Fitter for the hitout and worth a punt at the $7.50. Stablemate THE UMBRELLA MAN made good ground first-up in the Rough Eddie race and was close-up behind the talented Mr Epic at the end of last prep. Drawn badly tomorrow but showed first-up that he can drop out and run home. BOURBON ROAD made up good ground without threatening first-up behind roughie Frequendly and will strip fitter. Won two in a row over this trip last prep and likely to go better with a run under his belt.

Race 6

ANGEL DANCER has looked good in winning both starts this prep and is set to bring up her hat-trick tomorrow. Bolted in on the soft track at Toowoomba first-up then took on a much stronger class six here over 1350m and beat them comfortably as well. Only has a half kilo over the limit here in easier grade and from the good draw at $4.60 is the best bet on the day. SEA RED is a handy type resuming here and does go well fresh. Rattled home first-up last prep over this trip and should get the right conditions underfoot. Main danger to the favourite but looks a little close in the betting to her. HOTEL DRIVE ran a great race at the Grafton Cup carnival leading for most of the way in a class six under 59kg. That was a welcome return to form for him and is one for your multiples.

Race 7

Wide open Listed race here and when in doubt, bank on our old fave STEEL ZIP running a big race at the double figure quote. Always about the same in consecutive race earlier this prep at both Ipswich and the Sunshine Coast, but the on-pace types all figured prominently in both races and he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t run them down. Went to the Listed Ramornie at Grafton and got well back off the pace before running home strongly to finish up just a half length from the winner on the line. Should get a mile okay and he could easily finish over the top of them here. HARADA BAY has lifted his game in recent starts and broke through at the top level last time with a good win over a similar field here. Drawn awkwardly but with some luck will be very competitive again. LAUTERBRUNNEN ran home nicely behind Harada Bay after winning up at Rockhampton. Promises plenty but doesn’t deliver nearly as often as he should. Some chance.

Race 8

Tricky race to round out the quaddie and from the perfect draw BANDA SPICE looks a good as any. Never won in seven outings on wet ground yet she battled on well at the Sunshine Coast last start over 1300m. Not far off the stakes-grade fillies when last in work and isn’t entitled to be $10 against these. MADOTTI is well placed here after the claim for Josh Oliver and was close-up behind Frequendly here last time. Won the Group Three Vo Rogue Plate when last in work and shouldn’t be left out at the $9.00. OBERLAND walked in on fresh legs two runs back and went across the line in Frequendly’s blanket finish here two weeks ago. Need a touch of luck from the draw and looks a bit skinny at the $3.80 but is in the mix.

Originally published as Brisbane: Comprehensive preview of every race at Doomben