22/05/21 Tips for the Doomben Cup & The Roses

Doomben hosts a huge day of racing on Saturday, with the feature Group 1 Doomben Cup accompanied by a Group 2 for fillies and mares as well as two Group 3 events.

In the Doomben Cup, it is a case of the new kid on the block up against some seasoned hard heads.

Meanwhile in The Roses, I expect the ATC Oaks form-line to hold up well and prove a strong guide to the outcome of this race.

Track Conditions

The Doomben surface is currently rated a Soft 5 with some showers on the horizon. Given the warm weather in Brisbane over the past few days, expect the track to remain in the lower soft rating.

Backing up after last Saturday, the rail has been moved out 2 metres which won't impact racing notably given horses were able to win from all positions last time.

If there is any bias present, it will be towards those up against the rail early in the program.

Doomben Race 7 - Doomben Cup 2000m (G1)

The Map

With a lack of front runners in the race, the likely leader is Shared Ambition (6) who I expect to take up the running.

From the good gate, Toffee Tongue (3) will look to box seat behind the leader.

Of the get back brigade, look for Mugatoo (1) to settle midfield the fence and Sir Dragonet (2) will keep his rival company on his outside. 

Fifty Stars (10) will need to go back from the wide barrier and you can expect Avilius (7) to be rearward also.

The Favourite 

Zaaki ($2.80) was a dominant winner of the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes over 1800m.

That was the UK import's first win on Australian soil and he will be all the better for that experience.

This is a fairly steep rise in class, so the current quote looks under the odds for mine in this field.

If he produces a similar run where he ran 34.31 seconds for the last 600m, he is a big chance to take this out.

 Best Racing Tips

I'm siding with Sir Dragonet, who has the strongest form-line after finishing off well for a 1.6 length fifth behind Addeybb.

He edged past Mugatoo in the go to the line and clashes again with that runner under similar conditions.

He was far too good for them in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes over 2400m at the run prior.

The Cox Plate winner certainly took a while to click for his new trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, and is now back mixing it with the best at Group 1 level.

Expect him to get the right run and at his second consecutive outing at 2000m, he'll be rock hard fit and strong at the finish.

Mugatoo's form is hard to fault as he has competed at the top level. He beat Russian Camelot in the All Star Mile and although his next run in The Doncaster Handicap was a bit plain, the Donny is always a great form race.

The winner Cascadian ran a ripper in the All Aged Stakes next start.

Zaaki is going to be hard to beat again, though will need a good ride from James McDonald to have him placed handy to the speed from gate 9.

If he is within striking distance on straightening he will be amongst the action at the end..

Toffee Tongue should get a nice run from the draw and had a win at Randwick over this distance in the Group 3 Sky High, so might just run a cheeky race.

1st Sir Dragonet

2nd Mugatoo

3rd Zaaki

4th Toffee Tongue