Leading form analyst Dominic Beirne has It’s A Dundeel on top of his 2014 Queen Elizabeth Stakes tips and is confident that the five-time Group 1 winner can return to his best form in the $4 million race at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
It's A Dundeel is the 2014 Queen Elizabeth Stakes tip of leading form expert Dominic Beirne. Photo by: Steve Hart
It’s A Dundeel has not recorded a race win in three starts during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival to date, but Beirne told RSN that he believes the High Chaparral entire has had an ideal preparation for the 2014 Queen Elizabeth Stakes and can finish his racing career with a sixth Group 1 victory.
“For mine It’s A Dundeel is the best middle distance horse in the country and I think that he will re-stamp himself as that by winning this race,” Beirne said.
“This is an incredibly strong field though.
“It is highly likely that the horse has been half a run behind.
“He started off at 1600, but I’m sure that they wanted him fourth-up, which is where he peaks.
“I think that he has had a magnificent preparation zeroed in on one race and it is a $4 million race.
“I think that he is ready to perform.”
Five of the runners in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes field are backing up from the Doncaster Mile last weekend and Beirne has rated the 2014 edition of the race as the strongest edition of the event in the past decade.
Based on that rating figure, Beirne believes that Sacred Falls and Royal Descent are the two best value runners in the race, but admits that their task was made more difficult when they drew the outside gates in the 2014 Queen Elizabeth Stakes barrier draw.
“I think that the two value runners are the two from the Doncaster, but whether the barrier draw has put paid to them is another question,” Beirne said.
“The computed rated the Doncaster last week as the highest rated Doncaster or Epsom in the last ten years and we had some really well weighted horses in the race that were easily beaten by these two.
“I know that Sacred Falls got a dream run through the race and he is a query at 2000 metres, but I couldn’t judge him on the one time that Dundeel beat him in the Rosehill Guineas.”
Carlton House remains favourite in 2014 Queen Elizabeth Stakes betting markets at a quote of $3.50, but Beirne is of the opinion that the price of the Street Cry entire will lengthen significantly in the lead-up to the race and is confident that he will not start the $4 million event as favourite.
“I am quite surprised that Carlton House is still favourite and I can’t imagine that he will be favourite tomorrow,” Beirne said.
“He does get the race run to suit and that is definitely a positive for him and if leaders are winning on the day he may hold his position at about $5 or something, but I think that he might be a bit easy in the market.”
