Warwick Farm trainer Jason Coyle is giving his stable stalwart Scream Machine a 50-50 chance of making the final field for the Group 1 $1.36m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Scream Machine is a 50-50 chance of making the final Stradbroke Handicap field. Photo by Steve Hart.
Coyle was impressed with Scream Machine’s latest effort when beaten just less than two lengths when sixth to Spirit Of Boom in the Group 1 $650,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben on May 24 and says that the five year old is ready to tackle a tough 1400m.
“It was always the plan to try to have a crack at the Stradbroke. He has always raced at the top level and this is a great chance to try and pick up some big prizemoney,” Coyle told The Courier-Mail.
Scream Machine is currently number twenty-eight in the Stradbroke Handicap order of entry and would need a lot of runners above him not to accept on Wednesday for him to gain a place in the final eighteen horse field.
“A few people I have talked to have been sceptical about him getting a run but some others reckon he will get a run,” Coyle said.
“I reckon it is probably 50-50. He hasn’t been able to win a race like he needed to confirm a start so it is up in the air.
“There is not much I can do, I really just have to hope for the best.”
Scream Machine returned to Sydney after his Doomben 10000 run and will make the trip back to Brisbane on Thursday if he is included in the Stradbroke field.
Scream Machine is the winner of five races from thirty-one starts with prizemoney earnings over $400,000 but the Excites five year old hasn’t won a race since taking out the Listed $140,000 2013 Thomas Feary Painting Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) at Wagga just over twelve months ago.
If Scream Machine does gain a start in the Stradbroke Handicap he will be one of the outsiders of the field and is currently rated a $26 chance with Ladbrokes.com.au.
The Ciaron Maher trained Srikandi is the ruling $4.60 favourite following her clean sweep during the Winter Carnival with a hat trick of wins.
Srikandi arrived at the Gold Coast to score a two and a quarter lengths win on a heavy track in the Listed $150,000 Turangga Farm Silk Stocking (1200m) on May 3.
Maher then saddled up the Dubawi filly for the first of her two Doomben wins in the Listed $100,000 Designline Graphics Juanmo Stakes (1200m) May 17 before backing up the following week to win the Group 3 $150,000 Glenlogan Park Stakes (1350m) .
Gary Portelli’s Group 1 winner Rebel Dane is next in the market order at $6.50 ahead of Adelaide three year old Hucklebuck at $7, Red Tracer at $8.50, Doomben 10000 winner Spirit Of Boom at $9 and Temple Of Boom and Knoydart both at $10.
