Wet track could help Rebel Dane overcome Doomben 10,000 wide barrier

Trainer Gary Portelli can see a wet track at Doomben on Saturday helping Rebel Dane overcome a wide barrier in the Group 1 $700,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1200m).

Rebel Dane, above, has drawn barrier ten in the Doomben 10,000 at Doomben. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Rebel Dane, above, has drawn barrier ten in the Doomben 10,000 at Doomben. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Rebel Dane begins his last campaign before beginning stud duties at Victoria’s Swettenham Stud at the upcoming breeding season and has drawn barrier ten in the fifteen horse field with Robbie Fraad in the saddle.

The Doomben track was rated a heavy 8 on Wednesday morning at acceptance time but Portelli is not concerned and can see Rebel Dane taking a nice position midfield in the run to the first turn.

“If it had been a dry track I would be a bit concerned,” Portelli told racing.com.

“But now that it’s going to be wet I’d imagine – it’s a Heavy 8 at the moment – it looks like there is speed either side of us so I’m thinking that if he can jump well and take up a mid-field position he might get the right place in the right part of the track,”

“His best runs have been when he’s been on tight little turning tracks where there has been pressure on so with a big field around Doomben, you’d think there is going to be speed on and it just might suit.”

Rebel Dane is the winner of eight of his thirty-nine starts and collected two Group 1 trophies from his twenty-four Group 1 contests with victories in the 2013 $400,000 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield and in the $1m Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival and heads to the Doomben 10,000 coming off a ninth to Chautauqua in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 1.

A good performance in the Doomben 10,000 will see Rebel Dane line up in two more Group 1 sprints at Eagle Farm over the Brisbane Winter Carnival, the $700,000 Darley Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) on May 27 and the $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) a fortnight later.

The seven year old stallion is rated an $18 chance with Ladbrokes.com.au to win the Doomben 10,000 and is the veteran of the field while the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Russian Revolution, one of three three-year-olds in the field, sits at the top of the market order at $3.20.

Last year’s Doomben 10,000 winner Music Magnate is on the second line of betting at $6.50 ahead of the favourite’s stablemate Redzel at $7 and consistent Group 1 performer Fell Swoop at $8.

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.