Where stars will emerge

WHEN I’m asked what I’m most looking forward to through this year’s Queensland carnival and the Brisbane Racing Club’s Stradbroke Season, the answer is easy – attaining a glimpse into the future and learning who the next stars of Australian racing may be.

Cast your minds back 12 months and consider where these horses were sitting in the scheme of Australian racing;

Zaaki was another promising import who had two starts under the belt in Australia, with the latest being a defeat in a Group 3 2000m Handicap at Randwick.

Incentivise was the winner of a Caloundra Maiden.

Tofane was a Group 1 winning mare, but most likely considered to be past her best, having not won a race for more than 12 months.

Duais had been beaten fair and square in the ATC Oaks. Knights Order’s most recent run was a third in the Pakenham Cup.

Converge had been Group 1 placed during the Sydney carnival, but not considered among the top few of his generation.

Each came to Queensland relatively unheralded last year, but emerged through Stradbroke Season as potential topliners and lived up to it in season 2021-22.

Zaaki was the undoubted star, unbeaten in three Queensland starts, including a seven lengths romp in the Doomben Cup.

Snapping at his heels was Incentivise, who in a four start stretch put 38 lengths on his hapless rivals.

Combined the pair went on to win five Group 1 races, plus an All Star Mile and boast perhaps unlucky second placings in a Melbourne Cup and Queen Elizabeth.

Tofane rejuvenated in the Queensland sunshine last year, breaking a run of outs to win the Stradbroke and then Tatt’s Tiara.

She was super consistent through the spring run in a string of feature races before adding a fourth career Group 1 in the C.F. Orr Stakes this autumn.

Duais was a slow burner after romping away with the Queensland Oaks last year.

A Coongy success in the spring was the forerunner to brilliant wins in the Australian Cup and Tancred Stakes this autumn.

Knights Order revelled at 3200m in the Brisbane Cup and showed the merit of that by taking Sydney’s equivalent stamina test earlier this month.

Converge had a light spring campaign but showed his dominant J.J. Atkins success to have plenty of merit when he dethroned glamour threeyear-old Anamoe in the Randwick Guineas.

Right now, we don’t know who this year’s Zaaki or Incentivise might be.

What we do know is there’s going to be similarly untapped horses ready to show us all what they are really made of.

Bring it on!