Friday, May 28, 2010

Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival – The Doomben 10,000

Hot Danish
I normally wouldn’t bother writing about the Brisbane winter racing carnival, but the Group One Doomben 10,000, a weight for age competition over 1350 metres, has such an interesting field, that I feel like speculating on the outcome. The now retired Apache Cat won this race twice - in 2008 and 2009. So who will win it this year?

It is likely to start with a full field and it is packed with class performers. The big question is, can a mare or filly win? Very few have in the past, the last being Flitter in 1994.

Sure to attract keen interest is Whobegotyou, returning from a long break. He hasn’t raced since failing in the Cox Plate last spring, so he will be fresh. He has drawn a wide barrier, though his trainer Kavanagh claims he isn’t worried.

The top picks are mares Ortensia and Hot Danish along with the super consistent filly, Melito who will surely be in the finish. Top fancies in the male contingent are Mic Mac, Albert The Fat the surprise winner of the BTC Cup, Black Piranha who ran second in this race last year, and Carrara who performed so well in the autumn against Denman and won the Doomben Slipper on this day last year.

I’ll be barracking for the girls and hoping Hot Danish, Ortensia or Melito win, may be even trifecta, though that’s an enormous long shot.

And I was pleased to see Metal Bender back to his best in the Queensland carnival, taking out the Hollindale Stakes/Doomben Cup double. He will now be aimed for the Cox Plate in spring. Graceful Anna after winning the Silk Stocking a few weeks ago, only managed third place last week, so will not be competing in the Stradbroke, but staying in her own age group for now. Despite that, I'll continue to follow her progress

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