Race Overview
The Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap is an open handicap race run over 1400m at Eagle Farm in Brisbane.
With prizemoney of $1.5 million, the race is the most lucrative race in the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival and Queensland’s richest race outside of the restricted Magic Millions 2YO and 3YO races on the Gold Coast in January.
The Stradbroke is one of just 5 unrestricted Group 1 races over 1400m in Australia.
The other 4 races include the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, CF Orr Stakes, Futurity Stakes and the All Aged Stakes.
The inaugural race was won by Pyrrhus in 1890 and was named after Lord Stradbroke, relative to Henry John Rous, originator of the Weight-For-Age scale in horse racing.
From 1982-1988, the race was known as the Elders Handicap.
Originally a 1200m race in 1890, the race was changed to 7 furlongs in 1953 before becoming a 1400m race in 1972.
The race has always been held at Eagle Farm but due to reconstruction of the Eagle Farm racecourse, the 2014-15 season was transferred to Doomben over a slightly shorter distance of 1350m.
As one of the premier sprint races in Australia, the Stradbroke has always attracted some of the leading sprinters across the country.
One of the more memorable eras in the race’s history was the 1990s where Rough Habit won back-to-back races in 1991 and 1992 while multiple Group 1 champion All Our Mob saluted in 1994.
Legendary trainer Bart Cummings saluted with former Australian Cup and Cox Plate champion Dane Ripper in 1997.
Cummings has been the race’s most successful trainer with 3 wins from 1988 to 1997 while four trainers have won it twice including Con Karakatsanis, John Wheeler, Danny Duke and Michael Moroney.
Duke won the Stradbroke twice with Daybreak Lover who firstly won in 1984 before being retired and coming out of retirement as a 5YO to win the race a second time in 1986.
No jockey has won the race more than two times with 8 jockeys winning the race twice including John Marshall, Stephen King, Craig Williams, Chris Munce, Gary Palmer, Danny Nikolic, Jim Cassidy and Kerrin McEvoy.
Notable winners of the Stradbroke include Imposing (1979), Rough Habit (1991, 1992), All Our Mob (1994), Dane Ripper (1997), Srikandi (2015) and Trekking (2019).
The Michael Moroney-trained Tofane won the race in 2021 while the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Alligator Blood saluted in 2022.
Form Indicators
*Favourites backers have fared poorly in recent years with only 7 favourites saluting since 1983 including just 1 winner since 2010.
*In recent years, 14 of the last 22 winners have started at double digit odds of $11 or higher.
*The Stradbroke is a race that lends itself to a value upset and 3 winners have saluted at $31 including Mr Baritone (2008), Mid Summer Music (2012) and River Lad (2014).
*In recent years, the Doomben 10000 has been the most successful lead-up race with 9 winners coming from the race since 1991.
*Winning a lead-up race isn’t imperative with only 7 horses winning their lead-up race since 1991. A further 7 have finished second in their lead-up race and 4 have finished third and fourth. Sincero, who saluted in 2011 finished 11th in his lead-up race.
*The most successful barriers have been barriers 3, 12 and 18 which have delivered 4 winners each since 1983.
*The least successful barriers have been barriers 10, 11, 15 and 17 which have delivered just 1 win apiece but overall, double digit barriers have delivered 18 winners since 1983.
*Don’t expect to see a race record time with Toledo’s current record of 1:20.20 standing since 1998.
*Don’t bother backing a 2YO with only 5 saluting in the race’s history. Wiggle was the last 2YO to win the Stradbroke way back in 1958.
*Winning the race on consecutive years is very rare and only 7 horses have gone back-to-back in the race’s history including just 2 in the last 70 years. They were Rough Habit (1991, 1992) and Black Piranha (2009, 2010).
*The winner of the Stradbroke earns ballot exemption from the Group 1 Victory Stakes and Group 3 BTC Cup.
Very few horses have won the Group 1 Stradbroke twice. Daybreak Lover 84/86; Rough Habit in 91/92 and in recent times BLACK PIRANHA 2009/10 (photo). The gelding started 63 times with 8 wins and 17 placings with earnings $2,650,755. He's by Clang x Jazztrack pic.twitter.com/9m2jfwKTee
— TURFSTARS Media (@LisaGrimm9) June 6, 2018
Previous Winners:
2022 – Alligator Blood
2021 – Tofane
2020 – Tyzone
2019 – Trekking
2018 – Santa Ana Lane
2017 – Impending
2016 – Under The Louvre
2015 – Srikandi
2014 – River Lad
2013 – Linton
2012 – Mid Summer Music
2011 – Sincero
2010 – Black Piranha