Q22 racing preview, top odds & best bets | June 11, 2022

First run in 2021, the $1.2 million Q22 has attracted a field of 16 for this year’s edition. The race will be run on Stradbroke Handicap Day at Eagle Farm over 2200m, with the majority of the field from the Doomben Cup (2100m) lining up – excluding last year’s winner, Zaaki. Although this race has not yet reached the heights that Racing Queensland and the Brisbane Racing Club were hoping it would, a field including five Group 1 winners is nothing to shy at.

Race favourite Huetor ($2.90) is looking to do what Zaaki did 12 months ago and win the Doomben Cup/Q22 double, while the Doomben Cup runner-up Maximal ($6) is looking to turn the tables. Annabel Neasham still has a strong hand in the race even without her reigning champion, with Hopeful ($8) and Numerian ($13) on the third and fourth line of betting with Bet365.

Stablemates Yonkers ($34) and Polly Grey ($17) led the field up in the Doomben Cup a fortnight ago, so we expect similar tactics on Saturday, while Neasham’s pair can also be positive from their nice barriers. We also expect to see Le Don De Vie ($15), Esti Feny ($41) and Ballistic Boy ($34) show their hands early. Huetor should get a good run despite the wide draw, while Maximal will have to look for cover early from barrier 14.

Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2022 running of the Q22.

Maybe we are mad taking on the proven Group 1 form and going against Huetor, but we have liked what we have seen from NUMERIAN this preparation. Trained by Annabel Neasham, the six-year-old son of Holy Roman Emperor has had almost an identical preparation to what Zaaki had this time last year if you swap the Doomben Cup for the Gosford Cup. The gelding was pretty dominant when winning the Gosford Cup on May 7 over 2080m by almost a length, defeating Great House who ran a terrific fourth in the Doomben Cup on May 28. The bone-dry track is a genuine concern, but some of his best wins have been on synthetic tracks which tend to be a bit firmer, so we are happy to run that risk at the $13 on offer with online bookmakers. Tommy Berry is bound to ensure this horse gets the gun-run from barrier five and the stable is firing on all cylinders – particularly in Queensland. Neasham can make it consecutive victories in the Q22.

The ‘obvious’ pick in this race is HUETOR who was terrific when winning the Doomben Cup last start. The French import has not really put a foot run in his six Australian starts, winning four races, placing once and finishing fourth on the other occasion. The five-year-old by Archipenko could be a seriously good racehorse, and the extra 100m could be even more advantageous. The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained gelding now has the Group 1 box ticked, and potentially more importantly for this race, he has the firm Eagle Farm box ticked. Barrier 10 does present some more issues than what barrier two did in the Cup, so Kerrin McEvoy will have to try to look for some cover early, but it is a decent run in the home straight before the first turn, which should give him plenty of time to do so. Huetor is definitely a deserved favourite in this race.

We are giving the Queenslander a chance on Saturday, and that is BALLISTIC BOY. The Chris Anderson-trained galloper loves Eagle Farm, which he showed last start in the Group 3 Lord Mayors Cup (1800m) when second to Bigboyroy. The son of Smart Missile has eight starts on his home track for two wins and three runner-up performances, while he is one from one at this track and distance, which came when he won the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate in 2020. Although the race book says he was beaten nearly six lengths when 10th of 16 in the Scone Cup (1600m), his run was much better than it looked, and he then backed that up last start. Brad Stewart knows the horse very well, having ridden him 10 times for four wins and four minor placings, so we expect another big performance from this horse on Saturday.

Q22 2022 selections & best bets

• 4

  NUMERIAN

• 3

  HUETOR

• 10

  BALLISTIC BOY

• 11

  HOPEFUL

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