Vega One stands alone at the head of Stradbroke Handicap betting after faring best of the big names at Tuesday night’s barrier draw for Saturday’s $1.5 million race at Eagle Farm.
The local Group 1 winner was joint $6 favourite with Wild Planet going into the draw, but tightened into $5.50 after landing gate four. With third emergency Blazejowski drawn barrier two, Vega One will most likely start from gate three – the barrier Santa Ana Lane won from three years ago.
Wild Planet eased to $6.50 after drawing 15, but his fans will be buoyed by the news half of the past 30 Stradbroke winners started from a double-digit barrier, including recent winners Under The Louvre and Impending from 13, the gate he will jump from if the emergencies don’t run.
Queensland cult figure The Harrovian ($8.50) and Victorian mare Tofane ($9) remained at their pre-draw quotes after drawing barriers 11 and 12 respectively, while local 3YO Apache Chase tightened from $12 into $11 after coming up with gate seven.
Barriers were earlier drawn for the J.J. Atkins and the inaugural The Q22, in which Zaaki remains the $1.50 favourite after drawing barrier nine of 16. Converge tightened from $3.50 to $3.30 after drawing gate five in the 14-horse J.J. Atkins, while Port Louis went the other way – $4 out to $4.60 – after landing barrier 13.
TAB ODDS
STRADBROKE HANDICAP (barrier in brackets)
$5.50 Vega One (4)
$6.50 Wild Planet (15)
$8.50 The Harrovian (11)
$9.00 Tofane (12)
$9.50 Mr Quickie (1)
$11 Apache Chase (7)
$16 Victorem (8)
$17 Subpoenaed (21)
$21 Imagining (17), Niccanova (14), I Am Superman (3), Emerald Kingdom (10)
$26 Amish Boy (2nd em, 5)
$31 Savatoxl (13), Signore Fox (19), Madam Rouge (16)
$41 So Si Bon (9), Outback Barbie (1st em, 20)
$101 Olmedo (18), Blazejowski (3rd em, 2)
$151 Master Jamie (6)
$3.30 Converge (5)
$4.60 Port Louis (13)
$6.50 Tiger Of Malay (11)
$14 Overpass (3)
$15 Ranch Hand (2)
Cape Breton (10)
$16 Giannis (8)
$18+ Others quoted
$1.50 Zaaki (9)
$9.00 Toffee Tongue (15)
$13 Warning (6)
$17 Spirit Ridge (2)
Brandenburg (10)
$21 Nettoyer (7)
$26+ Others quoted