Weight drop helps Decision Time in Stradbroke Handicap

A significant drop in weight for Decision Time in Saturday’s $1.36m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm has given trainer Clarry Conners confidence that the five year old will pull off his first Group 1 win.

decision time

Decision Time has significant weight drop in the Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm. Photo by Steve Hart.

Decision Time will carry 54.5kg on Saturday, dropping six kilos from the weight he carried when third to Fontelina in the Listed $140,000 Yarraman Park – Horsepower Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) at Scone on May 18.

“He got too far back, couldn’t get out, kept hitting the line with a lot of weight, he gets in to this race much better,” Conners said.

“He is a lovely horse and he is going great, he should have won last start at Scone.”

“I think the Stradbroke will suit him down to the ground. And he is nicely in at the weights.”

Fontelina looks like scraping into the Stradbroke Handicap field and meets Decision Time one and a half kilos worse off with 53.5kg.

Conners rounded of Decision Time’s Stradbroke Handicap preparation with a solid hit out in a 740m Doomben jump out yesterday morning after missing a run last Saturday when he was scratched from the Group 2 $175,000 Magic Millions QTC Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm because of the wet track.

“His main goal has been the Stradbroke and I had to do something with him and he had a good hit out,” Connors said.

“It was only 740m but he went very well, I’m very happy with him.”

Decision Time has had a taste of Group 1 racing during the Sydney Autumn Carnival with a third to Bel Sprinter in the Group 1 $350,000 Canterbury BMW Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on March 30 followed by a sixth to Black Caviar in the Group 1 $1m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 13.

As a two year Decision Time showed a ton of potential and was runner-up to Crystal Lily in the 2010 Group 1 $3.5m AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill.

Conners is also looking for his first Stradbroke Handicap win after saddling up third placegetter Staging in 1999 behind Adam and thinks this year’s race is not overly strong.

“I don’t know if it’s an overly strong race. I think Decision Time is at least the equal to most of the other runners in it,” Connors said.

Decision Time has been rated $67 chance in pre Stradbroke Handicap betting which is dominated by a good bunch of three year olds.

Local colt Sizzling jumped to the top of the market order at $4.40 after racing back into form with a win in last weekend’s Group 2 $350,000 Sky Racing Queensland Guineas (1400m) at Eagle Farm.

Promising local colt Better Than Ready and BTC Cup winner Your Song are on the second line of betting at $6 with Doomben 10,000 victor Epaulette at $6.50.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.