Stradbroke Handicap 2022

Ladbrokes Tip: The Doomben 10,000 has been a good guide to Stradbroke Handicap winners in recent years

The Stradbroke Handicap is the richest race held in Queensland each Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, the Group 1 classic traditionally running at Eagle Farm Racecourse on a Saturday in early-mid June.

In 2017 the Stradbroke Handicap was moved from Eagle Farm to Doomben Racecourse and took place over 1350m (down from 1400m) and the 2018 edition saw the same change of venue occur with the Eagle Farm track still out of action.

A middle-distance sprint contested over 1400m, the Stradbroke Handicap has a minimum handicap weight of 52kg for four and five-year-old horses, and 50.5kg for two and three-year-old runners. Offering a total of $1.5 million in prize money the race has close to $1 million up for grabs for the winning connections.

The Stradbroke Handicap prize money in 2020 was down to $350,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before returning to $1.5 million in stakes for 2021.

The winners of the previous season’s Winterbottom Stakes in Perth, the New Zealand Telegraph Handicap overseas, Flemington’s Newmarket Handicap, The T.J. Smith in Sydney and South Australia’s The Goodwood are all exempt from Stradbroke Handicap ballot. In 2018 Santa Ana Lane became the first horse to do The Goodwood – Stradbroke Handicap interstate Group 1 double.

The Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) has been the best guide to the Stradbroke Handicap in recent years, but the double hasn’t been achieved since Campaign King (1988). From 2017 a number of changes to the Queensland Winter Racing line-up saw the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) run at Eagle Farm a fortnight before the new key lead-up into the Stradbroke Handicap field.

Stradbroke Handicap Day features a host of other key end-of-carnival feature races including the $1 million Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) for two-year-olds and the new-look $1.2 million Group 2 The Q22 (2200m) that has now replaced the race formerly known as the PJ O’Shea Stakes (defunct).

The latest edition of the Stradbroke Handicap ran on Saturday June 11, 2022 and was won in an upset by the now Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Alligator Blood ($11). 

Stradbroke Handicap Race Info

• Date: Saturday June 11, 2022
• Track: Eagle Farm Racecourse
• Distance: 1400m
• Conditions: Open Handicap
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $1.5 million
• First Run: 1890

2022 Stradbroke Handicap Results

• 1st: #5 Alligator Blood ($11)
• 2nd: #1 Private Eye
• 3rd: #9 Rothfire

The 2020 Australian Guineas winner and former Queenslander Alligator Blood ($11) broke a notable winning drought returning to form in fine style with a class win in the 2022 Stradbroke Handicap results ahead of the luckless Private Eye ($17), with front-running local Rothfire ($11) holding for third. The victory saw co-trainer Gai Waterhouse celebrate her 150th career Group 1 success.

Stradbroke Handicap Betting

Futures Stradbroke Handicap betting offering all-in prices on the likely runners in the field open weeks in advance of the race and are a great way to get generous odds on your early favourites. For those punters wanting a little more security, waiting for the markets on the final field the week of the race is often more attractive.

Last start winners don’t have a great recent strike rate in the race with only three saluting from 1994 – 2022 – including The Goodwood / Stradbroke double winner Santa Ana Lane (2018) – so horses on the improve or that are more suited to the conditions of the Stradbroke Handicap often dominate the markets over those coming off a victory.

The Stradbroke Handicap barrier draw plays a part in determining the prices on each runner, but wide barriers historically aren’t a hoodoo with 10 of the 16 winners from 2006 – 2022 jumping from a double-digit gate including: Under The Louvre (13 of 18 in 2016), Impending (13 of 16 at Doomben in 2017), Tyzone (16 of 18 in 2020), Tofane (10 of 18 in 2021) and most recently Alligator Blood (17 of 18 in 2022).

Horses coming off a run earlier in the winter in the Doomben 10,000 at Doomben Racecourse are often favoured in Stradbroke Handicap betting, but the favourites have a poor strike rate with just the one saluting for the punters from 2004 – 2022 when Black Piranha won his first in 2009.

The Kingsford-Smith Cup results now have a major impact on the Stradbroke Handicap betting markets as the premier lead-up to the $1.5 million feature since 2017, including producing the 2019 Stradbroke winner Trekking who improved on a lead-up third. In 2021 the Kingsford-Smith Cup winner Vega One went on to run second in the Stradbroke Handicap quinella next-up.

2022 Stradbroke Handicap Odds

The updated Stradbroke Handicap 2022 betting odds will be available across the winter so you can back your Group 1 Brisbane race tips at the right price once markets open at [ladbrokes].

Stradbroke Handicap Field

The Stradbroke Handicap field attracts the season’s best performing sprint types and the field capacity is 20 starters at Eagle Farm. The event ran at Doomben for one year in 2015 and had just 15 starters when Srikandi won from the inside alley beating the smallest Stradbroke Handicap field in over 30 years. The 2017 Stradbroke Handicap also took place over 1350m at Doomben when Impending won from barrier 13 (of 16), while in 2018 the field took to Doomben again due to the unsuitable racing surface at Eagle Farm.

River Lad (2014) is one of three Stradbroke Handicap winners since 2007 to salute as a $31 roughie in betting on the Group 1. Photo Credit: Daniel Costello.

From 1983 – 2008 the field ran under capacity just three times.

There are plenty of different lead-up races into the Stradbroke Handicap field each year including even Sydney’s Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) run in late April and Trekking (2019) was the last to do the double.

Stradbroke Handicap nominations close in early May over a month from the race date, followed by first acceptances about a week out from the race with the final field of acceptances released the Tuesday before the race runs on the Saturday.

2022 Stradbroke Handicap Field

The official Stradbroke Handicap 2022 field is released the Tuesday of race week following nominations in early May and will be listed below in full once final acceptances are announced by Racing Queensland.

The Stradbroke Handicap 2022 field features a full line-up of Group 1 gallopers led in betting by the Mick Price & Michael Kent Junior-trained Ayrton, Desleigh Forster’s Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup winner Apache Chase and third in the same key lead-up Eleven Eleven.

The official 2022 Stradbroke Handicap barrier draw took place on Tuesday evening and saw Ayrton suffer an early blow with an outside alley (19), while Eleven Eleven firmed into favouritism coming up trumps with gate five.

2022 Stradbroke Handicap First Acceptances

The Stradbroke Handicap 2022 first acceptances close on a Wednesday about a week and a half prior to the race further narrowing down the potential runners.

The 2022 Stradbroke Handicap first acceptances close Wednesday June 1, 2022. 

The Stradbroke Handicap 2022 first acceptances drew 32 entries led by progressive four-year-old Ayrton and last-start Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup winner Apache Chase from the local stables of Desleigh Forster.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2022 Stradbroke Handicap Nominations

The official Stradbroke Handicap 2022 nominations featuring usually in excess of 100 hopefuls are taken by Racing Queensland in early May and will be made available below.

The 2022 Stradbroke Handicap nominations close on Tuesday May 3, 2022 and will be updated below once released.

Racing Queensland took 125 early Stradbroke Handicap 2022 nominations including the flying Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Arrowfield 3YO Sprint winner Mazu and recent Group 2 Victory Stakes winner at Eagle Farm Count De Rupee for Robert & Luke Price.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Stradbroke Handicap Form Guide

The Stradbroke Handicap form guide reveals all the crucial information for punters like the jockeys, trainers, barriers, weights and lead-up runs of the horses in the field.

Wide barriers have produced plenty of winners including Linton (16 of 18 in 2013), River Lad (15 of 18 in 2014), the three-year-old Impending (13 of 16) at Doomben in 2017, and Alligator Blood (17 of 18 in 2022).

Mares have won four times from 2006 – 2022 with Tofane (2021) the last mare to win. Tyzone (16 of 18 in 2020) also won the Stradbroke from a wide barrier.

Looking at the Stradbroke Handicap weights is a good guide too as no runner has carried more than 55kg to victory since Show A Heart (56kg in 2002). Sydney and Melbourne raiders also have plenty of winning form over the locals, so keep an eye out for interstate-trained horses with lead-up form in Queensland.

The Stradbroke Handicap form has gone on to stack-up in other Group 1 races plenty of times over the years including in 2021 with the winner Tofane backing-up to in the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at the same track and distance a fortnight later.

Stradbroke Handicap Form Facts

• The only favourite in Stradbroke Handicap betting to salute since 2004 was Black Piranha (2009)
• Wide double-digit barriers produced seven Stradbroke Handicap winners from 2012 – 2022 most recently Alligator Blood (17 of 18 in 2022)
• Six-year-olds have dominated the Stradbroke Handicap results in the past decade
• The Doomben 10,000 and Kingsford Smith Cup are the two key Stradbroke Handicap form races to follow

2022 Stradbroke Handicap Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Stradbroke Handicap 2022 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Stradbroke Handicap Tips

Stradbroke Handicap tips include looking for horses coming off a nice Brisbane lead-up run in a race like the Doomben 10,000 or Kingsford Smith Cup, those proven at the track and previous winners at the distance.

Six-year-olds also have an awesome recent record in the race with six wins from 2008 – 2022, most recently Tyzone (2020), so backing a horse of this age with the right lead-up form is another good Stradbroke Handicap betting tip.

2022 Stradbroke Handicap Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ top Stradbroke Handicap 2022 betting tips detailing the sprinters to back and sack in the $1.5 million Group 1 plus exotic Stradbroke Handicap selections will be available below the week of the race so stay tuned.

• To Win: #4 Eleven Eleven ($5 at time of publish) 

Has firmed into favouritism following the barrier draw coming up trumps with gate five for Hugh Bowman. Presents fit third-up and looks the one to beat based on his two lead-up runs. Magic Millions Cup winner at the Gold Coast in January, resumed with a fourth at Scone with a big weight only a half-length beaten. Lovely improvement into the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup finishing third in a blanket finish behind Apache Chase and Paulele. Betting for that run, gets the 1400m and looks a huge hope to break his Eagle Farm hoodoo.

Stradbroke Handicap Results

Favourites have a poor recent record in the race and upset Stradbroke Handicap results are not uncommon.

The longest-priced winners in the past decade include River Lad ($31 in 2014), Linton ($26 in 2013), Mid Sumer Music ($31 in 2012) and Mr Baritone ($31 in 2008).

Notable recent Stradbroke Handicap winners include Trekking (2019), Sincero (2011), dual champion Black Piranha (2009-10) and Sniper’s Bullet (2007).

There have been eight dual Stradbroke Handicap winners throughout history: Black Piranha (2009, 2010); Rough Habit (1991, 1992); Daybreak Lover (1984, 1986); Lucky Ring (1949, 1950); Petrol Lager (1934, 1935); Highland (1925, 1926); Gold Tie (1918, 1919); and the first Babel (1895, 1896).

Stradbroke Handicap Winners