Journalists Wandering Eyes Posted June 7, 2023 Journalists Share Posted June 7, 2023 Think About It is a hot favourite for Saturday’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm.Think About It is on the verge of becoming a two-time Group 1 winner and can show his class while ticking off the achievement in the Stradbroke Handicap this Saturday at Eagle Farm. He has won his past six starts and took the spoils in his first Group 1 a fortnight ago in the Kingsford Smith Cup, beating home the Waterhouse & Bott-trained Converge. After travelling just off the pace throughout, he charged home on the straight when coming hard on the outside of Victory Stakes winner Rothfire, who hit the front 450m out from the line, to win by three-quarters of a length. Trainer Joe Pride celebrated his 16th Group 1 success with the win and will have the So You Think x Tiare gelding ready to take on a quality field including Kingsford Smith Cup rivals Converge and Rothfire. “This horse here is going from strength to strength,” Pride said. “It’s so exciting have this horse ripping through the grades, who knows where he’ll get to.” 2023 Kingsford Smith Cup replay Winner: Think About It Think About It will jump from gate 12 and is a $2.80 favourite to win the 1400m feature, with Hawaii Five Oh ($5.50) and Converge ($7.50) on the next lines of betting at . Converge has drawn wide with barrier 17, but co-trainer Adrian Bott said the team was happy with the draw and confidence was still high in the Group 1 winner. “We are really happy with the draw for Converge, you’d see when we were first-up from an inside gate, he got smothered up a bit, this gives him a bit of room,” Bott said. “There has been success with these horses that come from a bit wider with some cover. “I sent Tim Clark a text to say we got 17 and he was quick to point out Alligator Blood won from 17 last year.” The high-performing team of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will unleash Royal Merchant ($14) on the field in an attempt to spoil Think About It’s party. The Merchant Navy x Seventhchic filly will also be tilting for her second-straight Group 1, after winning The Goodwood at Morphettville last month. “Royal Merchant has been an amazing sort of horse, to run two PBs in her 11th and 12th run, they were very deep in her prep,” Maher said. The Maher & Eustace team also trains Ruthless Dame ($9), who will come out of barrier 13 beside Royal Merchant in gate 14. Winner of the Group 1 JJ Atkins in 2020, Rothfire ($21) will be given the toughest task having drawn the carpark in barrier 23. “The bookies have said it’s going to be tough for us all week and this barrier makes it harder,” trainer Rob Heathcote said. “We do have Nash Rawiller on board but, he is one of the best in the business.” 2023 Stradbroke Handicap field No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Rothfire Robert Heathcote Nash Rawiller 23 57kg 2 Superstorm Lauren Abbott James Orman 16 56.5kg 3 Vilana James Cummings James McDonald 15 56kg 4 Scallopini Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted Boris Thornton 8 55.5kg 5 Converge Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Tim Clark 17 55.5kg 6 Surf Dancer Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Ryan Maloney 7 54.5kg 7 Gentleman Roy Ben & JD Hayes Craig Williams 2 54.5kg 8 Eleven Eleven Gregory Hickman Jason Collett 20 54.5kg 9 Think About It Joseph Pride Sam Clipperton 12 54kg 10 Cardinal Gem Grahame Begg Jordan Childs 6 54kg 11 Holyfield Annabel Neasham Damien Thornton 21 53.5kg 12 Aft Cabin James Cummings Kerrin McEvoy 19 53kg 13 Royal Merchant Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Ben Thompson 14 52.5kg 14 Ruthless Dame Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Michael Dee 13 52.5kg 15 Chain Of Lightning Peter Moody Linda Meech 18 52kg 16 Palaisipan Chris Munce Kyle Wilson-Taylor 11 52kg 17 Tick Tock Queen Tony Gollan Angela Jones 4 51kg 18 Hawaii Five Oh Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Rachel King 3 49.5kg 19 Alpine Edge (1E) Toby & Trent Edmonds Martin Harley 5 53kg 20 Opal Ridge (2E) Luke Pepper Tyler Schiller 10 49.5kg 21 Dragon Leap (3E) Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott TBC 1 53kg 22 Sinawann (4E) Anthony & Sam Freedman TBC 9 53kg 23 Yellow Brick (5E) Tony & Maddysen Sears TBC 22 51kg More horse racing news View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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