Beaded Ready to Fight in Stradbroke

Trainer Peter Snowden believes Doomben 10,000 winning mare Beaded has the fighting qualities to emerge from the Group One Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm a winner.

No mare has won the Stradbroke since Capris in 1936, but Snowden believes his filly is tough enough to defy history, comparing her to a footballer with white line fever.

“She’s like a footballer who goes nuts when he runs on to the field,” Snowden said.

“When you take her to the races her personality changes. At home she’s meek and mild. Race day she will do anything. She will bite, kick stand on your toes.”

Beaded gets so fired up on race day that Snowden, an experienced horseman who trains more horses than just about any trainer in Australia, refuses to get too close to her. But the trainer wouldn’t change a thing about the mares racing style, as he believes it gives her a competitive edge.

“In a race she fights way beyond her weight. Although she’s small, she loves the rough stuff. When Buffering came over and bumped her early in the Doomben 10,000 she was really aggressive. It was the best thing that could have happened,” said Snowden.

“Beaded is like a prize fighter who gets belted. They come back harder after getting a decent whack.”

Beaded has had 20 career starts, for 10 wins and 9 minor placing’s, with the only time she failed to weigh in coming in last year’s Stradbroke when she finished a close fourth to Black Piranha. One stat of note is that three of her ten defeats have come at 1400m, a distance the mare has failed to win at.

“I’d say 1400m is about her outer limit so I wouldn’t like to see her stuck out to deep in running,” said Snowden.

“We will ride her forward early to be in the first eight. But there is a stack of speed in the field so it is a race sure to be run at a good tempo.”

Being caught deep on the track may be a problem that jockey Kerrin McEvoy is faced with as the mare has drawn gate 17, however she will start from barrier 14 of 18, after the removal of the emergencies.

The outside draw may look bad on paper, but horses who have drawn in double figure barriers have won half of the Stradbroke’s in the last forty years. Recent winners to overcome wide draws include Black Piranha (Barrier 12, 2010), Sniper’s Bullet (13 in 2007), La Montagna (18 in 2006), St Basil (20 in 2005) and Show Heart (18 in 2002).

Beaded opened as favourite for the Stradbroke during the week, but after the barrier draw she has eased in betting to $7.00. Love Conquers All has been backed to break her run of Group One seconds and is currently favourite at $6.00. Black Piranha ($7.00), Woorim ($7.00), Thankgodyou’rehere ($8.00) and Sincero ($9.00) have been among the best backed runners.

About The Author