Australia: Top three finishers from last year back again in Group 1 Doomben Cup

There is an element of familiarity among the leading runners in Friday’s Group 1 Doomben Cup at Doomben Racecourse, near Brisbane, Australia.

The first three finishers from last year’s race – Huetor, Numerian, and Kovalica – are part of this year’s race. The forecast is for a different order of finish in the $660,100 race at 1 1/4 miles.

Kovalica, third to Numerian in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Sunshine Coast Racecourse on May 11, was a slight favorite at 7-2 as of early Thursday over Detonator Jack at 4-1. Huetor (7-1) and Numerian (8-1) were third and fourth choices in the betting.

:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing

Kovalica, a winner of 6 of 18 starts for trainer Chris Waller, closed well to lose the Hollindale Stakes by slightly more than 1 1/2 lengths. Though winless in eight starts since the Group 1 Queensland Derby at 1 1/2 miles last May, Kovalica ran a much brighter race in the Hollindale than his performances earlier this year when he was comprehensively beaten in three Group 1 races at tracks in Sydney.

Numerian, an 8-year-old Irish-bred gelding who has won 7 of 43 starts, was 30-1 in the Hollindale Stakes in his first start since Jan. 1. Last December, Numerian won a Group 2 Ted Van Heemst Stakes at 1 5/16 miles at Ascot Racecourse in Perth in Western Australia. The win ended a 13-race losing streak that included a 19th-place finish in a field of 22 in the 2022 Melbourne Cup.

The Doomben Cup distance should suit Detonator Jack, best known for winning the $650,600 Gong Stakes at a mile last November. In his last start in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Cup at a mile on May 4, Detonator Jack closed from seventh in a field of 15 to finish second by a short head as the 5-2 favorite.

Detonator Jack won a minor handicap at 1 5/16 miles at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne in 2022, and was later third by 2 1/2 lengths in the Group 1 South Australian Derby at 1 1/2 miles at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide that year.

Doomben has a 10-race program beginning at 9:08 p.m. Eastern or 6:08 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.