Oak Door seeking Straddie opening

TRAINER Robert Smerdon is hoping there will be some lastminute scratchings to enable three- year- old Oak Door to force his way into the Stradbroke Handicap field.

Oak Door sits in 25th spot on the order of entry into Saturday’s 1350m Group 1 race at Doomben.

The back- up plan is for Oak Door to contest the Group 2 Queensland Guineas ( 1600m).

Smerdon says the shorter trip is more favourable for Oak Door.

“He’s won a Group 2 before and he’s an entire,” Smerdon said. “If he won the Guineas it just consolidates his future, but if he could win a Group 1 then you’ve got a real commercial product.

“I think also he’s better at 1350 or 1400m than at the mile.”

Smerdon has yet to book a rider for Oak Door in the Stradbroke but said Craig Williams would ride the colt if he runs in the Guineas.

Williams, who moved to within one win of apprentice Beau Mertens in the chase for Melbourne jockeys’ premiership with a treble at Moonee Valley on Saturday, is booked to ride the Lindsay Parktrained Derryn in the Stradbroke.

Smerdon has also booked Williams for last- start San- down winner Grand Dreamer in the Brisbane Cup ( 2200m).

Hooked will be ridden by Noel Callow.

After copping a suspension at Geelong last Friday, Callow stood down from his rides at Moonee Valley on Saturday and Ballarat on Sunday to enable him to ride in the Group 1 race on Saturday.

Hooked, ninth in the order of entry, is coming off a laststart second to Burning Front in the Robert A Lee Stakes ( 1600m) at Morphettville on May 20.

“Again I think he’s a better 1400m horse,” Smerdon said.

“And if it happened to rain, all the better. He loves it.”