Racing
Eagle Farm - Stradbroke Day
Eagle Farm plays host to Brisbane's signature race day of the Winter Carnival this Saturday with the famous Stradbroke Handicap and J J Atkins to be run at the highest level.
In addition to that, there are three Group 2 races and they contain our two best bets.
Fawkner Park strikes the most winnable race of his campaign in the $1.2m Q22, which rounds out the nine-race card.
The imported galloper ran well in several Group 1 races during the Sydney Autumn Carnival won by Via Sistina and in two starts in Brisbane this time in, the only horse who has beat him home is Antino.
Fawkner Park will relish not having horses of that calibre to contend with in this race, which he won so impressively 12 months ago.
Our next best comes up in Race 7 and we are siding with a Chris Waller-trained mare who has been scratched from the Stradbroke to be saved for the Dane Ripper Stakes, also over 1400m.
Firestorm has not started since the Doncaster Mile, in which she was never a factor despite being well-backed, but she almost beat boom filly Lady Shenandoah in the Coolmore Classic earlier in the Sydney autumn.
Lady Shenandoah would be $1.30 in this.
Firestorm has won four of five first-up runs and has the services of James McDonald.
In the main race it is hard to go past War Machine, but one horse that might run a race at huge odds is Payline.
He was never a factor last week, but you could mount a case he should have won the WFA Doomben 10,000 the start prior and he will relish getting back to handicap conditions.
At $34/$9, he could be a nice play on a 1x3 basis.
BRISBANE BEST
BEST BET: Race 9 No 1 - FAWKNER PARK
NEXT BEST: Race 7 No 4 - FIRESTORM
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