The Guy Walter-trained Streama has opened narrow favourite in the final field markets for the 2014 Doomben Cup in Brisbane this Saturday.
Streama is favourite to win the 2014 Doomben Cup in Brisbane this weekend. Photo: Daniel Costello.
A five-year-old daughter of Stratum nearing retirement, Streama boasts three previous Group 1 wins and is after a quartet in the $500,000 Group 1 Titan Energy Services Doomben Cup (2000m) on the weekend.
She went up over further than a mile for the first time since her Australian Oaks win as a three-year-old two years ago last start when she beat home a similar field of rivals in the Group 2 AD Hollindale Stakes (1800m) on the Gold Coast.
That was run on a Heavy (8) but Walter is confident that the firmer track at Doomben Racecourse will suit even more in the Cup when she goes up in distance again.
While she hasn’t handle these kind of metres in a couple of years, her class has been there for all to see with her most recent Group 1 start producing a close fourth in the Queen of the Turf in Sydney in April.
Streama pays $4.20 to win on Saturday where she will become the fifth horse to complete the Hollindale Stakes – Doomben Cup double since 2002; the most recent to achieve the feat was Metal Bender (2010).
Hot on Streama’s heels in Doomben Cup betting this year at $4.50 meanwhile is Zabeel four-year-old Leebaz.
The Hawkes-trained up-and-comer has had just nine starts to date but their record already shows six wins, most recently in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) from a fortnight ago.
This is a notable class rise however and they go up from a mile straight to the 2000m which is also a query.
Occupying the third line of the Doomben Cup odds at $5.50 are then Darren Weir’s Victorian stayer Akzar and the Chris Waller-trained Sydneysider Junoob.
Selkirk seven-year-old Akzar was a late entry into the race looking to pay back connections the hefty fee that incurred with another win following their success in the Listed Warnambool Cup (2350m) in the mud on May 1.
Junoob meanwhile comes via the Hollindale Stakes, the Haafhd six-year-old far from disgraced when less than two lengths away fourth to Streama on the back of two Black Type Sydney wins.
Rounding out the single figure chances for Saturday’s major at $8 is then another late entry, the Ciaron Maher-trained Mr O’Ceirin out in the ‘visitor’s barrier (10 of 10).
The Postponed gelding was out of form earlier when returning with an 11th in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield but thrived on a Heavy (8) Gold Coast track when a half-length second in the Hollindale Stakes.
Other longer priced hopefuls not without their claims for an upset like Famous Seamus ($41) in last weekend’s BTC Cup meanwhile include the Chris Waller-trained Hollindale fifth placegetter Moriarty ($11) and Kris Lees’ imported galloper Slow Pace ($15) last seen running third in the Group 3 JRA Plate over this distance at Randwick on April 26.
Check out the full Doomben Cup fixed win odds below, prices you can lock in now online at Ladbrokes.com.au.
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