| What | George Moore Stakes Day |
| Where | Doomben Racecourse – 75 Hampden Street, Ascot QLD 4007 |
| When | Saturday, December 4, 2021 |
| Feature Race | R9: Group 3 George Moore Stakes (1200m) |
| First Race | 12:03pm AEST |
| Watch Live | |
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Streaming Live at Sportsbet |
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After two washed-out Doomben meetings and a washed-out Gold Coast meeting last Saturday, we look set for a massive 10-race card at Doomben this Saturday (touch wood) for the Group 3 George Moore Stakes, as well as three Listed races and both the Country Cups Challenge Final and the Country Stampede Final. HorseBetting’s Queensland form analyst brings you his race-by-race preview, best bets and quaddie numbers for the day. The track is currently rated a Heavy 10, but with clear skies forecast across Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the River City, track staff are hopeful of an upgrade prior to the first. The rail is out 2m for the entire course, while the first race is set to jump at 12:03pm AEST.
Race 1: Two-Year-Old Handicap (1200m)
The first race of the afternoon is set to see a field of 11 two-year-olds step out in a bid to earn valuable prizemoney towards the Magic Millions. Only three of these runners are yet to debut, while of the eight with race experience, three come into this with a win already under their belt. Rex Lipp & Nicholas Hahn saddled up Burnish Gold on debut last Saturday at Ipswich, where she led all of the way to win on a Heavy 10 track, so with that in mind, we are happy to back her here. The filly by Defcon did only beat three runners home, but she has the Heavy track box ticked and won over 1200m, one of only two runners in the field to have raced beyond 1110m. The $9.50 is appealing enough. You have to have respect for Tony Gollan’s unbeaten colt Capital Tower, while Russian Revolution has been tipped to be Australia’s leading first-season sire, so we will be watching to see how Russian Warrior goes on debut after an impressive trial win.
Selections: 5-1-11-2
Race 2: Country Cups Challenge Final (1600m)
As if often the case in these Country Challenge races, it is a wide-open betting affair, with Ammoudi Bay the $5 favourite. One runner in this field who is always consistent and has some more genuine form is Kristie Clark-Peoples’ eight-year-old, Hi Harry. This son of Denmarket finished midfield in the 2020 Rockhampton Cup, which looks good for this, while he also ran home strongly behind the classy Tears Of Love in the Roma Cup (November 20) last time out. Given most of these ‘bush’ horses race on dirt and sand, a lot are untested on rain-affected going, so that is another edge in Hi Harry’s favour. The gelding is a two-time winner on Soft ground, while he has placed on four other occasions on Soft and once on a Heavy. He should get plenty of favours from the inside alley under Brad Stewart and be closing off strongly. He just hasn’t won since 2018 at Tara, which is a definite concern.
Selections: 12-9-10-1
Race 3: Eagle Way (2000m)
This race is named after 2016 Queensland Derby winner Eagle Way and gives three-year-old stayers a chance to show their strengths over a little bit further as they build towards the 2400m feature in June. Ashgrove finally put it all together at start number three here on November 15, absolutely bolting in by 3.5 lengths over 1640m, but he could have won by further if asked. The Tony Gollan-trained son of Dundeel had the blinkers applied for the first time on that occasion and they stay on here, which is a massive push in his favour. Drawn wide in barrier 10, Ryan Maloney is likely to grab the bull by the horns again and put him into the race early on, which will make him very hard to run down. His win a fortnight ago was on a Soft 5, so he should handle the track, while his breeding also suggests that. We are cautious of the unbeaten Gypsy Goddess from the David Vandyke stable, with the filly by Tarzino winning in style at the Sunshine Coast in her two starts date and each time appearing like she wants further.
Selections: 3-6-9-1
Race 4: Country Stampede Final (1100m)
Like the Country Cups Challenge Final, the Country Stampede Final gives the sprinters from the bush a chance to win on the big stage. Top weight Hard Stride is looking to make it back-to-back wins in the $75,000 event, but we have to side with Todd Austin’s in-form seven-year-old, Wall Street Tycoon. This son of Tycoon Ruler has only won eight races from 32 starts, but he is well and truly in a purple patch of form, winning his last five starts and now shooting for six straight. Wall Street Tycoon won by three lengths when fresh at Dingo, a town 200km west of Rockhampton, before stringing together wins at Barcaldine, Longreach, Cloncurry and once again at Longreach, where he did enough to just hang on in the Country Stampede Qualifier. He drops 3kg from that win down to 55kg and gets the experienced Jim Byrne in the saddle from barrier three. There is no reason why he can’t win again.
Selections: 10-7-3-2
Race 5: Winning Rupert Plate (1200m)
A field of 12 three-year-olds contest this year’s Winning Rupert Plate, and we are confident that there is a very smart one set to go around. Far Too Easy has won three of his four career starts to date, and a clear case can be made that he should be unbeaten after bundling the start at this track and distance in August. The David McColm-trained son of All Too Hard won easily in his first two starts at Grafton by a combined six lengths over 1015m and 1200m respectively, with both of those runs coming on rain-affected going. He then ran fourth to Hidden Hail here at start three in what was his final race in his first campaign. First-up, McColm took his classy three-year-old to the Gold Coast for what was essentially a paid barrier trial over 900m, but he made a mess of his rivals, racing away to win by 1.5 lengths. From barrier six, Brad Stewart will have his mount stalking the leaders before letting down in the straight over the top of them. We are very keen at the $3.80 on offer.
Selections: 2-1-3-7
Race 6: Open Quality Handicap (2000m)
A number of these runners come out of the Mooloolaba Cup on November 20 over the mile, including all bar Tears Of Love, Fastnet Cyclone, Stuck With You and Populist. One runner who caught the eye in that run was Tony & Maddy Sears’ Prometheus, who closed off very well into third. The eight-year-old doesn’t win out of turn, but he did salute by three lengths first-up over 1400m at the Gold Coast on a Heavy 8 track, indicating he was in for a big preparation. He hasn’t run poorly since in his next three starts, but he now looks primed going out to 2000m fifth-up and back onto a bottomless track. From barrier nine, Michael Cahill will go back on this son of Snitzel and hopefully can gather them up.
Selections: 8-3-2-1
Race 7: Listed Recognition Stakes (1350m)
As they say, third time’s a charm. This race has travelled more than half of Australia has over the past two years, thanks to abandoned and postponed race meetings in South-East Queensland over the last week, but it finally looks set to take its place on Saturday’s card. The Listed Recognition Stakes is one of the highlights of the day, with a number of black-type performers taking their place. Niccanova is an absolute mudlark, winning two from three on a Heavy track and four from nine on a Soft, so we have to be with him here. The Steve Tregea-trained eight-year-old ran a solid fourth when fresh in the Keith Noud Stakes here over 1200m, so he should be primed going out to 1350m second-up. James Orman stays on, he gets the run to suit from barrier eight, and most importantly, he will eat up the conditions. He should be the favourite.
Selections: 2-3-5-10
Race 8: Listed Eureka Stud Classic (1200m)
Another race that was originally programmed for the Gold Coast last weekend was the Eureka Stud Classic for Fillies & Mares over 1200m at Listed level, but it too was rescheduled for this meeting. We liked Fleet Dove last weekend, and the conditions haven’t changed that much for us to want to be off her here at the massive odds. The Kelly Schweida-trained four-year-old has won two from three on a Heavy track and has placed on three occasions on rain-affected going, so she too is going to relish the conditions on Saturday. Drawn in the inside alley for New Zealand hoop Samantha Collett, this Not A Single Doubt mare is going to get the run of the race and take some beating late. She has won two races from three first-up runs too, so we think the market might have missed her at the $31.
Selections: 14-2-3-8
Race 9: Group 3 George Moore Stakes (1200m)
The feature race of the afternoon is the penultimate, and it is a genuine battle of the heavyweights with the likes of Alligator Blood, Signore Fox, Zoustyle, Shooting For Gold and Weona Smartone all set to take their place. We are with the latter here as he looks for an eighth-straight win in what will be his toughest test to date. David Vandyke always places his horses carefully in order to not overtax them at any stage, and this son of Shamexpress is the flagbearer for that theory, with his hardest run so far being a Class 6 Handicap. He gets in exceptionally well with only 54kg and will relish the Heavy conditions, while barrier 11 could allow Ben Thompson to cross over and take a sit behind the speedy Zoustyle. He looks a good bet to upset to favourite and win his first bit of black-type.
Selections: 11-4-5-9
Race 10: Listed Mode Plate (1200m)
To finish off the afternoon, a competitive field of three-year-old fillies will do battle in the Listed Mode Plate. This race was won by Isotope 12 months ago, so we will be on the lookout for the next star filly in Queensland. While we may not have the next star, we do think the best filly in this race is actually a visitor in Najmaty for the Peter & Paul Snowden stable. The daughter of I Am Invincible certainly has not done anything spectacular this campaign, running last at Randwick two back and then finishing 11th of 16 at Flemington, but they have both been in Group 2 company in the middle of the peak season down south, so that has to be respected. First-up, this girl ran fourth behind Gimmie Park at Caulfield in a race where she had no luck and arguably should have won. If she was coming into this as a Group 3 winner, she would be $5, not $13. Michael Cahill can keep her out of trouble from barrier 11 and let her get back to her winning ways. The stable have opted to use the barrier blanket for the first time, which could prevent Najmaty from bombing the start as she has done in the past.
Selections: 5-3-7-8
Saturday quaddie picks for Doomben
| Doomben quadrella selections | |
|---|---|
| Leg 1: | 2-3-5 |
| Leg 2: | 2-3-14 |
| Leg 3: | 4-5-9-11 |
| Leg 4: | 2-3-5-7-8 |
| Investment: | $144 for 100% |
