The bookies are having a hard time separating the top four in 2017 Brisbane Cup betting ahead of the Stradbroke Handicap Day race at Doomben Racecourse on the weekend.
Top Of My List is one of the best in 2017 Brisbane Cup betting for the last at Doomben on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
Closing the card for the biggest meeting of the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, this year’s $300,000 Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2200m) is due to run as Doomben Race 9 at 4:20pm (AEST).
The race, traditionally run over 2400m at Eagle Farm, has attracted a final field of 14 with the latest Brisbane Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au featuring four single-figure fancies.
Narrow early favourite at $4.80 and firming is Darren Weir’s Perth expat Neverland, the Big Brown mare chasing her maiden win since November of 2015.
She is yet to win on the eastern seaboard, but proved her potential finishing runner-up in the latest two editions of the Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) at Ascot.
Last time out the five-year-old finished a close fifth just over a length off the winner Kaiser Franz at Eagle Farm in the Group 2 Premier’s Cup (2200m) and on Saturday she jumps from gate eight dropping to 53kg.
Occupying the second line of Brisbane Cup betting at $5.50 is the 59kg top weight Single Gaze who also has the outside barrier (14 of 14) to overcome on the quick back-up.
The Nick Olive-trained four-year-old Not A Single Doubt mare raced last weekend at the same track and distance beating home Rudy in the Group 2 PJ O’Shea Stakes (2200m).
She rises two kilos from her winning weight on Queensland Oaks Day, but with Kathy O’Hara in the saddle again the bookies are taking no chances with last year’s Vinery Stud Stakes winner.
The next best in betting are then Top Of My List ($6) chasing a third win on the trot and the consistent placegetter Zambezi Warrior ($6).
Anthony & Edward Cummings saddle-up four-year-old High Chaparral mare Top Of My List at Doomben for the first time, the Sydney visitor coming off back-to-back wins at home over 2000m.
The latest saw her cart 57.5kg to victory over Allergic in the Listed Lord Mayor’s Cup (2000m) on May 6 and she’s had a freshen-up since.
The step-up to 2200m is a test for Top Of My List this weekend in Queensland, but with Tommy Berry aboard she’s a genuine hope.
Zambezi Warrior is drawn a treat in barrier thee and Jeff Lloyd is in the saddle of the Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards-trained Kiwi.
The Pentire four-year-old comes into the Brisbane Cup via the traditional path having run fourth in the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) at Doomben two back before his second to upset winner Kaiser Chief in the wet in the Premier’s Cup.
Outside of the single-figure hopes the other top contenders include PJ O’Shea Stakes runner-up laast weekend Rudy ($10), the reigning Cup winner Benzini ($10) and the Premier’s Cup winner Kaiser Franz ($26) who is a roughie to do the double facing a firmer track this weekend.
See below for the full Brisbane Cup 2017 field, barriers, jockeys, weights and latest odds on the feature provided by Ladbrokes.com.au.
