Australia: Ayrton breaks from outside in 18-horse Stradbroke Handicap
It’s a good thing the Australian multiple stakes winner Ayrton is a handy horse.
A winner of 6 of 9 starts, Ayrton will start in the richest race of his career in Saturday’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm, a $1,079,000 race at seven furlongs. The race has a maximum field of 18, with Ayrton set to start from an outside post.
With his ability to race as a stalker, Ayrton may be able to scoot forward in the run to the turn and avoid a wide trip.
As of Wednesday, Ayrton was the 5-1 second choice behind Eleven Eleven, who was a close third in the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup at 6 1/2 furlongs at Eagle Farm on May 28.
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Ayrton will be ridden by Jamie Kah, who was the aboard the New Zealand-bred for a win in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap at seven furlongs at Flemington Racecourse on April 16. Ayrton was later eight of 11 in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on May 7 in the longest race of his career. Ayrton was near the front in the stretch before fading through the final furlong.
Eleven Eleven, well drawn in post 5 for the Stradbroke, and Ayrton figure to get good trips behind expected pacesetter Apache Chase, who led throughout the Kingsford-Smith Cup to record an 11-1 upset by a head. Apache Chase is based at Eagle Farm with trainer Desleigh Forster. A 4-year-old gelding, Apache Chase has won 9 of 22 starts in his career and 8 of 13 starts at Eagle Farm.
Eleven Eleven was beaten a head and a nose in the Kingsford-Smith Cup, his best result in a Group 1 race.
Eleven Eleven has won 3 of 6 career starts at seven furlongs. Those three wins have come in lucrative sale progeny races – a $1.38 million race for 3-year-olds in 2020, and races worth $770,000 and $720,000 for older horses in the last two Januaries.
The Stradbroke Handicap is part of an all-stakes nine race program at Eagle Farm that begins at 9:43 p.m. Eastern or 6:43 p.m. Pacific on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
In the Group 1 J.J. Atkins Stakes at a mile for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds, the New Zealand-bred Sharp ‘N’ Smart will be a slight favorite over Political Debate. In the Phoenix Stakes at 7 1/2 furlongs at Eagle Farm last Saturday, Political Debate held off a late threat from Sharp ‘N’ Smart in the latter’s first start in Australia.
The $719,300 Atkins Stakes drew a field of 18, including the filly Sheeza Belter, who won the Group 2 Sires Produce Stakes at seven furlongs at Eagle Farm on May 28. Sheeza Belter closed from 11th in a field of 18 to win the $710,000 Sires Produce Stakes by a length.
The French-bred gelding Huetor, who won the Group 1 Doomben Cup in a 15-1 upset on May 28, will be favored to win the Group 2 Q22 Stakes at 1 3/8 miles earlier on the Eagle Farm program. Huetor closed from seventh of 10 to win the $710,000 Doomben Cup by slightly less than a half-length over Maximal, who is part of a field of 16 in the $863,100 Q22 Stakes.