A Stradbroke Handicap start is on offer for Military Zone after the three year old scored a dominant win in the Group 3 $150,000 Nuturf Fred Best Classic (1400m) at Eagle Farm today.
Military Zone, was the winner of the Fred Best Classic at Eagle Farm. Photo by Steve Hart.
The winner of the Fred Best Classic is exempt from the ballot for the Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm in a fortnight and co-trainer Peter Snowden is seriously thinking about taking up the offer.
Military Zone scored his fifth win from ten starts but will still get a light weight in the Stradbroke Handicap when the weights are released on Monday.
Peter Snowden, who trains in partnership with his son Paul, said that he didn’t want to make a hasty decision and will wait until late into next week before declaring his hand.
“It is way too early to say yet,” Peter Snowden said.
“He is a really nice horse and I have always liked this bloke. He is getting better with racing but I reckon he is still another prep away, a Spring, Autumn horse, not so much now, but it is hard to ignore what he did there today.”
“It is a long hard thinking process to go through with Mick and Chris (Ward, Triple Crown Syndication Managers) and hope we can work something with them.”
“He is a very progressive horse, he has a great turn of foot, he is easy to ride and I think he has a nice future.”
“We will let the dust settle and make a decision in a week’s time and see what happens.”
James McDonald wrapped a winning double when he brought Military Zone ($3.30 favourite) down the middle of the wide Eagle Farm straight to overpower the leaders and record a comfortable win over two of the outsiders of the field, Baccarat Baby ($81) and Krone ($61).
McDonald won the first race on the nine event card on the Todd Blowes trained Noble Boy.
Military Zone has firmed in from $21 at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Stradbroke Handicap to be on the third line of betting at $10 behind The Bostonian at $5.50 and Trekking at $8.
The post A Stradbroke Handicap start on offer for Fred Best Classic winner Military Zone appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au.
