Last Saturday’s Goodwood winner Santa Ana Lane will chase another Group 1 trophy when he heads to Queensland for the Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on June 9.
Santa Ana Lane, above in blue colours, will bead to Brisbane for the 2018 Stradbroke Handicap at Doomben. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Anthony Freedman trained Santa Ana Lane ($26) claimed his second Group 1 victory with a storming finish that saw the five year old record a one and a quarter lengths win over Missrock ($17) in the 2018 Group 1 $1m Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on the weekend.
Santa Ana Lane had claimed a maiden Group 1 win during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival with a victory over his stablemate Mr Sneaky in the Group 1 $500,000 Keno Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Freedman will take Santa Ana Lane back to Melbourne before organising a flight to Brisbane to join Mr Sneaky who is already campaigning in the Sunshine State.
“He’ll spend a few days in a paddock and then we’ll take him to Flemington and then hopefully get a flight to Brisbane,” Freedman told Freedman told RSN 927’s Correct Weight.
“We’re going to try and get a flight, which is not easy.”
“Hopefully that’ll happen in the next week.
Freedman is not sure how Santa Ana Lane will handle the smaller Doomben track and added that he thought that Mr Sneaky wasn’t comfortable on the tighter circuit when third to I’m A Rippa in the Group 3 $125,000 Flight Centre BRC Sprint (1350m) last Saturday.
“Doomben’s a tricky little track, it may not be perfect for him but he’s entitled to take his place in the race,” Freedman said.
“Morphettville’s a track that suits him, I’m not sure Doomben will but we’ll take our chance.”
“I’m not sure he (Mr Sneaky) loves this direction.”
“I’m not sure he loves Doomben, but he ran well.
“He’s a horse that needs to draw well, and needs to be covered away for most of the race and used late in his races.
“If he did get a good draw in the Stradbroke, he could be in the finish, but I’m not convinced he’s at his best at Doomben and this direction.”
Early betting for the 2018 Stradbroke Handicap at Ladbrokes.com.au has Santa Ana Lane marked at $17 while Mr Sneaky is listed as a $21 chance.
The Bjorn Baker trained filly Champagne Cuddles heads the betting at $7 just ahead of the Matt Dunn trained Care To Think and last year’s winner Impending at $8.
Early betting for the 2018 Stradbroke Handicap at Ladbrokes.com.au: $7 Champagne Cuddles, $8 Care To Think, Impending, $10 In Her Time, Osborne Bulls, $11 Le Romain, $13 English, $17 Invincible Gem, Land Of Plenty, Most Important, Prompt Response, Sambro, Santa Ana Lane, Spieth, $21 Crack Me Up, Danon Liberty, Mr Sneaky, Peaceful State, Perast, Ulmann, Volpe Veloce, Whypeeo. $26 or better the rest.
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