Kiwi trainer Tony Pike has described The Bostonian’s barrier as ‘perfect’ as he attempts to continue his run of Group 1 wins in the $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Michael Cahill, above, will ride The Bostonian in the 2019 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The Bostonian is coming off wins in the Group 1 $800,000 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) at Doomben and in the Group 1 $700,000 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm during the Brisbane Winter Carnival and came up with gate ten when the barriers were drawn at Eagle Farm this morning.
A final field of eighteen will contest the Stradbroke Handicap which also has five emergencies with four of those drawing a barrier inside of The Bostonian which could see him jump from gate six if the field stays intact.
“Perfect gate and everything seems to be going right and he will be in the race for a long way,” Pike said.
“He is flying at the moment. Couldn’t fault his work on Tuesday morning and the barrier, he is probably going to start from gate six if the ballots come.”
The Bostonian is chasing an unprecedented clean sweep of the Brisbane Winter Carnival Group 1 sprints and Pike admits that it is a daunting task facing the Stradbroke Handicap top weight.
“It is going to be a very big effort if he is going to get all three. It has never been done,” Pike said.
The Bostonian is unbeaten from five starts in the Sunshine State after winning three times during the 2018 Queensland Winter Racing Carnival with two victories at the Sunshine Coast in the Listed $125,000 Daybreak Lover (1200m) and in the Group 3 $125,000 Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) and sandwiched in between a win in the $75,000 QTIS three year old Plate ($1350m) at Doomben.
“ I don’t know what it is with Queensland, he just loves the place. He was pretty bright and well this morning so really happy. “
Michael Cahill will be aboard The Bostonian again and Pike will leave the riding tactics up to him after two top shelf displays to win the Doomben 10,000 and the Kingsford-Smith Cup.
“That is his job. He knows the horse well, he knows these tracks well and he is going to have some option from that gate as well, so it is going to make his job a bit easier.”
The Bostonian remains as the $4.50 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Stradbroke Handicap ahead of the the James Cummings trained Trekking at $5.50 and the Gold Coast trained Tyzone at $9.50.
Kerrin McEvoy will again be aboard Trekking who came up with barrier thirteen in the original draw but will jump from gate nine if all of the five emergencies fail to gain a start.
Final field and barrier draw for 2019 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m)
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1x17525x11 | THE BOSTONIAN (NZ) | Tony Pike | Michael Cahill | 10 | 57kg |
| 2 | 1230x214x7 | HOME OF THE BRAVE (IRE) | James Cummings | James McDonald | 22 | 56kg |
| 3 | 14150×1111 | DESPATCH | Tony McEvoy | Barend Vorster | 1 | 54.5kg |
| 4 | 3222×32101 | WIDGEE TURF | Patrick Payne | Billy Egan | 16 | 54kg |
| 5 | 21194×4113 | TREKKING | James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | 13 | 54kg |
| 6 | 022055×230 | DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR | Tony McEvoy | Jamie Kah | 19 | 54kg |
| 7 | 950×504216 | ENDLESS DRAMA (IRE) | Tony Pike | Leith Innes | 8 | 54kg |
| 8 | 347×522713 | SPRIGHT | Garry Frazer | Glen Boss | 15 | 53.5kg |
| 9 | 08×1693222 | TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) | Chris Waller | Corey Brown | 20 | 53.5kg |
| 10 | 9x21145x80 | MAN BOOKER | Daniel Morton | Joe Bowditch | 23 | 53.5kg |
| 11 | x4x0x30414 | VIRIDINE | James Cummings | Tim Clark | 11 | 53.5kg |
| 12 | 19x8x466x3 | DEPLOY | Gerald Ryan | Brenton Avdulla | 7 | 53.5kg |
| 13 | x4461x1581 | TYZONE | Toby Edmonds | Tommy Berry | 12 | 53kg |
| 14 | 17x312x703 | I’M A RIPPA | Tony Gollan | Jeff Lloyd | 17 | 53kg |
| 15 | 32×0136002 | PRINCESS POSH | Kris Lees | Larry Cassidy | 3 | 52kg |
| 16 | 125×327449 | ENCRYPTION | James Cummings | Craig Williams | 14 | 52kg |
| 17 | 3x3124x214 | IRITHEA | Bjorn Baker | Robbie Fradd | 18 | 51kg |
| 18 | 11x339x51 | PRETTY IN PINK | John O’Shea | Robbie Dolan (a) | 2 | 49.5kg |
| 19e | 2114261×26 | TACTICAL ADVANTAGE | Kris Lees | Brenton Avdulla | 5 | 53kg |
| 20e | x282123151 | STREETS OF AVALON | Shane Nichols | Zac Spain | 9 | 52.5kg |
| 21e | 311×304710 | RINGERDINGDING | Chris Waller | Michael Dee | 21 | 51kg |
| 22e | 24311×3401 | REDOUBLE | Bjorn Baker | – | 6 | 52kg |
| 23e | 148×691009 | SIREN’S FURY | Jason Coyle | Tegan Harrison | 4 | 51kg |
The post The Bostonian draws perfect barrier in 2019 Stradbroke Handicap appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au.
