Australia: Relocated Doomben Cup tops 10-race, all-stakes program at Eagle Farm

Wet weather in Brisbane, Australia, in the last week led to the postponement of the Group 1 Doomben Cup from May 21 to Wednesday, and finally to this Saturday.

The race has been moved from Doomben Racecourse to nearly Eagle Farm Racecourse and will be run at 1 5/16 miles instead of 1 1/4 miles. The Doomben Cup is part of 10-race program consisting entirely of stakes, including three Group 1 races.

One thing has not changed. Zaaki will be a heavy favorite to win the $709,000 Doomben Cup, a race he won in 2021. Since then, Zaaki has won six additional stakes. The 7-year-old gelding has such a leading role in Australia’s older horse division that he was 2-5 in early betting on Thursday to win the Doomben Cup.

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Trained by Annabel Neasham, Zaaki has won 2 of 4 starts this year, with the wins coming in the $3.69 million All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley on March 1 and the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Gold Coast Racecourse at odds of 1-2 on May 7.

Zaaki is part of a field of 10 in the Doomben Cup, the fifth race on a program that begins at 9:08 p.m. Eastern or 6:08 p.m. Pacific on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.

The only other runner in the Doomben Cup likely to be single-digit odds is the mare Polly Grey, who was second in the Hollindale Stakes. She was 9-1 on Thursday.

Huetor, who was fourth by 3 3/4 lengths in the Hollindale in his group stakes debut, was 12-1.

Later on the Eagle Farm program, the New Zealand-bred gelding Dark Destroyer will have his Australian Group 1 debut in the $709,000 Queensland Derby at 1 1/2 miles where he figures to be a 3-1 favorite in a full field of 18. Dark Destroyer was a two-time group stakes winner in New Zealand in December and January and won for the first time in Australia in his third start in the country in the Group 3 Rough Habit Stakes at 1 5/16 miles at Eagle Farm on May 14.

Dark Destroyer will start at 1 1/2 miles for the first time in the Queensland Derby. His main rivals are fellow New Zealand-breds Paternal, who was second in the Rough Habit Stakes, and the New Zealand shipper Pinarello, a Group 2 winner at 1 5/16 miles at Ellerslie Racecourse on April 23.

In the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup at 6 1/2 furlongs, the 5-year-old mare Entriviere and 3-year-old colt Paulele are expected to lead the betting in a talented field of 16.

Paulele and Entriviere were second and third to Mazu in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 Stakes at six furlongs at Eagle Farm on May 14. Mazu is not part of the $496,300 Kingsford Smith Cup, but is nominated to the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on June 11.