Straddie runners lying in weight
WEDNESDAY’S first acceptors shape as a pivotal point for many horses vying to win the $1.5 million Stradbroke, including Queensland chances Outback Barbie and Order Again.
Weights for the Stradbroke will be released by Racing Queensland today.
The Bostonian will go up 1.5kg for his Kingsford Smith Cup win and carry 57kg top weight, negating the need for weights to be raised at final acceptance time. The Bostonian will be the second highest rated runner when weights are released today, with Osborne Bulls to be allotted 58kg.
Nature Strip, another nonrunner, will have 56.5kg and Home Of The Brave next on 56kg. Manual rounds out the top five with 55kg.
Outback Barbie ran well again in the Kingsford Smith Cup, but will need to rely on the attrition rate to make the field. She will receive the 49.5kg limit (for three-yearolds) today and be placed somewhere between the 45 and 50 mark in the order of entry.
Lord Mayor’s Cup winner Order Again will require an even higher attrition rate, with his weight likely to come in at 51-51.5kg, which puts him in the mid-50s. Tom Melbourne will receive 53.5kg and is certain of a start if connections want to run.
Tyzone is the shortest priced Queensland trained runner in the Ladbrokes market and his 53kg puts him about 37 in the order of entry, which has historically been comfortably high enough to secure a start at this stage.
Kingsford Smith placegetters Princess Posh (52kg) and Trekking (54kg) will enjoy a weight swing on The Bostonian in the Stradbroke.
Noble Boy will go up six rating points for his impressive Eagle Farm win on Saturday, but still be ranked worse than 90 in the order. Handicapper Nathan Bourke put the finishing touches on the weights for the 144 entries yesterday. He had 62 horses to reassess that ran on Saturday.
Victorem (51.5kg) is in the same group as Outback Barbie in terms of the order, while Ringerringding (51kg) is inside the top 40 and more likely to secure a start. Others include Widgee Turf (54kg), Spright (53.5kg), Tactical Advantage (53kg), Violate (52kg), Encryption (52kg) and Irithea (51kg).