133 Included in 2017 Stradbroke Handicap Nominations

133 horses remain in contention for the Brisbane Winter Carnival’s biggest prize following this morning’s release of 2017 Stradbroke Handicap nominations.

Black Heart Bart leads 2017 Stradbroke Handicap nominations. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos

Black Heart Bart leads 2017 Stradbroke Handicap nominations. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos

Black Heart Bart ran a close second in the 2016 edition of the feature race and leads an outstanding contingent of eleven horses included in 2017 Stradbroke Handicap nominations by master trainer Darren Weir.

A former Perth galloper, Black Heart Bart has undoubtedly found career-best form since transferring to the care of Weir prior to the 2016 Autumn Carnival and has subsequently posted five wins at Group 1 level.

Resuming this year for second in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m), the Blackfriars gelding savaged the line for a smart win in the Group 1 Ladbrokes CF Orr Stakes (1400m) and was last seen repeating that effort in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m).

Black Heart Bart is set for an appearance in the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville in a fortnight, ahead of likely progression to the Stradbroke Handicap.

Weir’s other Stradbroke Handicap nominations include horses like Mahuta, Sooboog and Voodoo Lad.

Unlucky not to have posted a maiden win at the highest level, Mahuta has undoubtedly been at his best in races over 1400m and should prove tough to beat in the Stradbroke Handicap, should he find his best form.

Capping his first year under the care of Weir with a smart win in the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m), Sooboog has steadily built to the task through two starts this time and finished sixth in the Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) last time out.

Voodoo Lad has returned to racing in typically smart form this time and should prove tough to beat under the conditions of the Stradbroke Handicap.

Resuming for a close second in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m), the I Am Invincible gelding progressed to a credible fifth in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) before a luckless run for seventh in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) last time out.

Godolphin Australia have been well represented in the Group 1 feature through recent seasons and they are again set to saddle runners after trainer John O’Shea lodged five Stradbroke Handicap nominations, including Impending and Morton’s Fork.

Impending has produced a number of outstanding results for Godolphin since making his debut in 2016; finishing outside the first three on only three of ten occasions.

Running fourth in the talent-rich Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) on March 4th, the Lonhro colt has since placed third in each of the Group 3 Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m) and Group 2 Arrowfield Sprint (1200m).

Morton’s Fork was sent to the paddock after failing to fire in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) on March 4th, but has trialled particularly well in the lead-up to his winter return.

Fell Swoop and English are two horses that are set to figure prominently during the Brisbane Winter Carnival and have both been included in 2017 Stradbroke Handicap nominations.

Fell Swoop is another horse who has been unlucky not to win at Group 1 level and the sprinter should be in sharp condition by the time he takes his place in the Stradbroke Handicap field.

Having required a couple of runs to find peak condition upon resuming this time, the Not A Single Doubt gelding ran well to finish third in the TJ Smith Stakes last time out.

English appeared to have won the TJ Smith Stakes until she was swooped in the dying stages of the race by Chautauqua, and will head to Brisbane following an appearance in Saturday’s Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) in Adelaide.

2017 Stradbroke Handicap Nominations

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer
1 314181458x ADDICTIVE HABIT (NZ) G 7 Lee Somervell
2 x00021524x AKAVOROUN G 7 Ciaron Maher
3 1x111x5 ALL OVER BOSANOVA F 3 Mel Eggleston
4 520x21x137 ARTISTRY M 5 Peter & Paul Snowden
5 0210x5240x ATTENTION C 3 Peter & Paul Snowden
6 63x211150x BANDA SPICE M 4 Stuart Kendrick
7 3x242x111x BASSETT (NZ) G 4 Mick Price
8 318x12302x BETTER LAND H 5 Toby Edmonds
9 025x75420x BIG MONEY G 7 Rodney Northam
10 12129x211x BLACK HEART BART G 6 Darren Weir
11 11x6211x BONNY O’REILLY (NZ) M 4 Bjorn Baker
12 345xL760x8 BROOK ROAD M 6 Kris Lees
13 6241111141 BURNING FRONT G 6 Darren Weir
14 2x131x10 CALANDA G 3 Peter & Paul Snowden
15 3016126x9x CAVALOCE M 6 Will Clarken
16 2x44224x2x CHARNLEY RIVER C 3 Stuart Kendrick
17 1111x640x9 CLEARLY INNOCENT G 5 Kris Lees
18 0x048286x4 COOLRING G 6 Bjorn Baker
19 7x2602x802 COUNTERATTACK H 4 Chris Waller
20 600x21172x DAL CIELO (NZ) G 4 Kris Lees
21 359x47350x DANISH TWIST M 5 Kris Lees
22 16x DELAWAR H 4 David Vandyke
23 44434×2407 DENMAGIC M 4 David Pfieffer
24 2612x1111x DEPLOY G 4 Gerald Ryan
25 037x43181x DERRYN C 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
26 21311×4207 DIVINE CENTURI M 4 Stuart Kendrick
27 x2x411113x ECKSTEIN F 3 Kurt Goldman
28 236x15162x EGYPTIAN SYMBOL M 4 Bjorn Baker
29 1x477x2504 EL DIVINO C 3 Darren Weir
30 11147x165x ELEGANT COMPOSURE M 5 Chris Anderson
31 x5470x1726 ENGLISH M 4 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
32 16225×7200 FAATINAH G 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
33 1410110×01 FABRIZIO G 5 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
34 42x23343x6 FEDERAL G 5 John O’Shea
35 6x323x663x FELL SWOOP G 5 Matthew Dale
36 8x122x7 FRANCE C 3 Peter & Paul Snowden
37 5x111410x FUHRYK F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
38 84x013421x GOLD SYMPHONY G 4 Peter & Paul Snowden
39 x377x0472x GOOD PROJECT H 5 Chris Waller
40 433x1136x6 GRUNDERZEIT G 5 John O’Shea
41 x1x14x3207 GUARD OF HONOUR C 3 Kris Lees
42 1x2411011x HALL OF FAME (NZ) C 3 Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards
43 x0192x519x HEAR THE CHANT F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
44 46x11470x6 HEART STARTER G 4 Darren Weir
45 x1323x224x HEROIC VALOUR C 3 Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards
46 7x6x231102 HERRSCHAFT G 5 Gerard Betros
47 1134x3119x HEY DOC G 3 Tony McEvoy
48 40x112x HONOUR’N’STRENGTH G 3 Melissa Leitch
49 0x70x9x201 HOOKED H 6 Robert Smerdon
50 x4062538x2 HOPFGARTEN G 6 Robert Heathcote
51 6×1126 I THOUGHT SO C 3 David Pfieffer
52 3314x6433x IMPENDING C 3 John O’Shea
53 205x11115x IN HER TIME M 4 Benjamin Smith
54 2018235265 IN HIS STRIDE G 4 Rex Lipp
55 x4x21111x1 INVINCIBLE EXPRESS M 4 David Vandyke
56 x6039x6509 JAPONISME G 4 Chris Waller
57 34028×5313 JUNGLE EDGE G 6 Mick Bell
58 0x3021x875 KAEPERNICK G 5 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
59 013x70x310 KELLYVILLE FLYER M 7 Jason Attard
60 1124×2212 KEN’S DREAM C 3 Darren Weir
61 511432×532 LAND OFFICE G 5 Steele Ryan
62 0x10x3815x LE CORDON BLEU G 6 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
63 0x411351x3 LUCKY LIBERTY G 5 Henry Dwyer
64 041x60x100 LUCKY TOM G 5 Harold Norman
65 110x13540x MACKINTOSH (NZ) G 4 Chris Waller
66 x0527x121x MADOTTI M 4 Matthew Dunn
67 110x3630x9 MAHUTA H 4 Darren Weir
68 98x9310x21 MALIBU STYLE G 5 Neville Parnham
69 415452112x MAN OF HIS WORD G 4 Bruce W Hill
70 1x6x4339x MANAYA F 3 Michael Costa
71 1746×2115 MILWAUKEE G 3 Michael Moroney
72 741x4300x3 MISS COVER GIRL M 5 Kelly Schweida
73 x227x430x1 MISS GUNPOWDER M 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
74 x1521x540x MORTON’S FORK C 3 John O’Shea
75 x1210x1501 MUSIC MAGNATE (NZ) G 5 Bjorn Baker
76 04x11912x1 MYSTIC OPAL M 4 Chris Anderson
77 115x NEW UNIVERSE (NZ) G 3 Chris Waller
78 345x1224x5 NUDIERUDIE M 4 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
79 163211419x OAK DOOR C 3 Robert Smerdon
80 14124x94x7 OLD NORTH G 4 John O’Shea
81 352x2744x4 PAINTE G 5 Joseph Pride
82 0x6120210x PERFECT DARE G 4 Matthew Dunn
83 x14240x122 PRIVLAKA G 4 Robert Heathcote
84 3x3121x11x RADIPOLE (IRE) G 4 Michael Moroney
85 10x54219x7 RAGEESE H 4 Darren Weir
86 236710x99x REBEL DANE H 7 Gary Portelli
87 148x51319x REIBY RAMPART M 4 Jason Attard
88 x32218116x RELIGIFY G 6 Chris Waller
89 9655345×91 RHYTHM TO SPARE (NZ) G 7 Michael Moroney
90 0759623234 ROUND MOUNTAIN GAL M 5 Philip Kimmet
91 0x61324x14 ROYAL TUDOR G 4 Rodney Ollerton
92 324314x64x RUETTIGER (NZ) G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
93 11114x16x RUSSIAN REVOLUTION C 3 Peter & Paul Snowden
94 969x0x041x SAGARONNE M 4 Toby Edmonds
95 341x17731x SAVANNA AMOUR F 3 John Meagher
96 x30380x95x SAVOUREUX M 5 Kris Lees
97 38338×4614 SEBRING SUN H 4 Darren Weir
98 24x167x51x SECRET AGENDA M 4 Mick Price
99 x12147x311 SEVENTH UP (NZ) G 6 Shelley Hale
100 21152x146x SHEIDEL M 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
101 51024×9401 SHILLELAGH (NZ) M 5 Chris Waller
102 231x21214x SILENT SEDITION M 4 Andrew Noblet
103 0x145167x8 SIR BACCHUS G 4 Chris Waller
104 3x0x091020 SIR MOMENTS G 6 Steven O’dea
105 545x24335x SNIPPETS LAND G 6 Peter & Paul Snowden
106 425531120x SNOOPY G 4 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
107 x68x23059x SOLD FOR SONG M 4 Kevin Kemp
108 1153429×65 SONY LEGEND G 6 Brian Smith
109 2020541×06 SOOBOOG H 4 Darren Weir
110 948x23276x SOVEREIGN NATION G 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
111 1x21x SPLURGE (NZ) G 4 Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards
112 3x111x3848 SPRIGHT F 3 Garry Frazer
113 x6x191212x START WONDERING (NZ) G 6 Evan & J J Rayner
114 x348x8635x STRAWBERRY BOY G 8 Matthew Dunn
115 3761 STREETS BETTER C 3 Bryan & Daniel Guy
116 36x143x18x SUPER CASH M 4 Andrew Noblet
117 32x147x46x SYLPHEED F 3 Toby Edmonds
118 24x111138x TACTICAL ADVANTAGE G 3 James Cummings
119 2021257×18 TAILLEVENT G 4 Bruce W Hill
120 x112516x84 TAKEDOWN G 4 Gary Moore
121 121386618x THE MONSTAR G 6 Brett Cavanough
122 1613x66x THE VIRGINIAN G 4 Toby Edmonds
123 82161113×9 THUNDER RAIDER F 3 Darleen Duryea
124 2152427428 TOO GOOD TO REFUSE H 4 Desleigh Forster
125 4873x30x98 TRUBIA H 5 Michael Lakey
126 0x11412x05 TYCOON TARA M 6 Peter & Paul Snowden
127 x21152136x ULMANN G 5 Darren Weir
128 1111x9171x VEGA MAGIC G 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
129 1276x22x21 VIDDORA M 4 Lloyd Kennewell
130 35x132715x VOLPINO G 3 Les Kelly
131 311210×257 VOODOO LAD G 5 Darren Weir
132 42213×1932 WAR HERO G 3 Toby Edmonds
133 818x587x8x YESTERDAY’S SONGS G 6 Michael Moroney

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Jared Timms

Jared graduated with a journalism degree in 2011. He is a keen sports fan and has enjoyed many accolades for his lively writing style and comprehensive coverage of major sporting events and horse racing. Today, you can find Jared cheering on his beloved Manchester City with a beer in hand.