At this stage, if there are no scratchings in the Stradbroke Handicap, four of the five emergency acceptances who missed out on a place in the final field for the $3 million race, will be looking to claim a consolation prize at Eagle Farm on Saturday when they tackle races on the undercard.
Bearing in mind the fact that they would have been fit and primed for the Stradbroke Handicap opportunity if that came about, they should be factors in the respective races that they will now move on to.
The connections of the first and fifth emergencies, Sixties and Skyhook respectively, will switch their attention to the $200 000 Gunsynd.
The Chris Waller trained Sixties has had an interesting leadup story to the Stradbroke with Jamie Melham taking a punt by getting off the Ciaron Maher trained Another Will (a confirmed Stradbroke runner) to accept a booking on Sixties (who was the first emergency).
Even more interesting is the fact that Melham will not ride Sixties if the son of Flying Artie does line up in the Gunsynd. James McDonald has that ride … which will leave Melham watching the Gunsynd from the sidelines.
Last time out the Group 2 Phar lap winner finished unplaced in the Fred Best … a race which gives the winner automatic entry into the Stradbroke.
Skyhook got close to earning that ballot-free card when he finished in second place, just a length behind Regal Award in the Fred Best over 1400m. Prior to the Fred Best, Skyhook won the Hawksbury Guineas over 1400m, so the son of Written Tycoon is a horse in form.
The 1600m of the Gunsynd does increase the distance test for Skyhook, who has yet to race beyond 1400m. He did stay on stubbornly in the Fred Best after using plenty of gas early but the 1600m remains in question. A wide draw … thirteen out of sixteen … could also complicate the task of the Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou trained runner who, with only twelve starts under his belt, has plenty of room for improvement. He will be partnered by Kerin McEvoy who has been in the saddle in two out of the chestnut colt’s three wins.
Sixties is the $2.60 favourite for the Gunsynd. Skyhook is at $4.
Payline, the second emergency for the Stradbroke, will face the starter in the $160,000 Hinkler Handicap over 1200m.
The Chris and Corey Munce trained son of Shooting To Win is a ‘veteran’ of thirty-two starts and, while you do have to go back seventeen months to find his last win (in The Syndicate), he has, for the most part, been a very consistent performer as shown by the results of his five starts he has had this year … all in feature races … in which he only finished out of the first three once, and that was in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000.
Nash Rawiller, who takes the ride, is a big plus for this runner.
Payline is an $11 chance for the Hinkler.
The third Stradbroke emergency, the Mick Price and Michael Kent (Jnr) Welwall, who won the Doncaster Prelude and then finished fourth in the Bernborough, will race in the $160 000 Wayne Wilson while the fourth emergency, the Rex Lipp trained Cifrado, will take a step back completely and live to fight another day.
