3 minute read
Chris Waller looks poised to land back-to-back Doomben Cups this afternoon with ultra-consistent stayer Junoob.
In a very tricky renewal of the $500,000 weight-for-age contest, first run in 1933, Waller’s super fit six-year-old import can turn the tables on Streama and land his first Group 1 win.
Streama won a wet Hollindale Stakes (1800m) two weeks back, finishing half a length clear of Doomben Cup rival and noted mudlark Mr O’Ceirin with Junoob 1.8L back in fourth place.
That’s a crucial form reference given four of the last five Doomben Cup winners have come through the race.
Interestingly though, it’s not always the winner of the Hollindale that fares best two weeks later – Mawingo ran third in the Hollindale before winning the Doomben Cup two years ago while Scenic Shot did exactly the same thing the year before.
There are two more key observations to be made from the Hollindale.
Firstly, it was a very wet track which played against Junoob a little bit.
Don’t be fooled by his wet-track record which includes six wins on a slow or worse surface. I believe the horse’s best form is actually on top of the ground and he should get a firmer track to work with here.
It could prove telling given his last two runs were the best of his career, a win in the Group 3 Neville Selwood (2000m) at Rosehill and his Hollindale performance were both on a heavy track.
They both earned weight-adjusted Timeform ratings of 114, which can be improved upon here with a better surface.
The other thing to take out of the Hollindale is the weight of history facing Guy Walter’s mare Streama.
She’s aiming to become just the second mare to win this race since 1950.
When Cinque Cento won a poor renewal of this race in 2007, she became the first mare since Dream in 1950 to do so.
Now Streama deserves a piece of history before she heads to the breeding barn – she’s been a wonderful mare for Walter having already claimed three Group 1 wins, but this might well be a bridge too far.
It’s her first time in more than two years over 2000m - she’s done most of her best work over the mile in recent times.
She finished a game second to Mosheen in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes over this trip in April of 2012 before winning the Australian Oaks over 2400m.
Junoob meanwhile gets back out to his favourite trip, and hit the line well enough in that Hollindale to suggest he could get past Streama back over the 2000m.
His last six starts have yielded four wins, and importantly each win has been an improvement on the last.
He ran to 102 in winning a Benchmark 88 (2000m) at Rosehill back in February, beating home subsequent Canberra Cup winner Jacquinot Bay.
Then he ran to 109 when jumping to open grade at Rosehill two weeks later.
Two months ago he demolished a Randwick City Stakes (2000m) field finishing five lengths clear with a figure of 113 before his Neville Sellwood triumph.
He loves the journey, Rawiller stays in the saddle and Waller will no doubt have him trained to the minute here.
Expect him to finish this off very strongly.
While Streama will be very game, Junoob’s biggest danger might well be the Hawkes-trained galloper Leebaz.
He’s been well backed in all four runs this campaign, and has collected three wins including the Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) at his last start.
Leebaz also profiles well for this having improved with each win, running to 110 most recently in winning that feature at Hawkesbury.
He’s very lightly raced compared with a lot of these too, having had just the nine starts for six wins and two minor placings.
If there’s a query it’d be over his credentials at the 10 furlongs, but James McDonald rides and he’s been a magician this autumn.
At some point he’ll likely be in front, and with more improvement expected from this four-year-old he’ll be tough to reel in.
Mr O’Ceirin warrants plenty of thought after his Hollindale run, which earned a career-best Timeform figure of 117.
He lapped up the wet as he does, and gets out to his best trip today over which he’s won five from eight.
Glen Boss retains the ride and he can give another massive sight here, although conditions probably won’t be as suitable today.
Keep an eye on Darren Weir’s Akzar coming up from Victoria off a dominant Warrnambool Cup (2350m)win 16 days ago.
Weir has transformed this horse since taking control of him in December, earning four wins from six starts for his new trainer.
The Warrnambool Cup win was a career-best performance for Akzar, yielding a Timeform figure of 111.
It’s still a few pounds shy of what he’ll need to run to be winning this, but Weir has been on fire and you simply can’t ignore how well this horse is going.
At $4.80 though, he’s certainly been well found in the market.
Enjoy what promises to be an excellent Doomben Cup.
