Australia: Wild Planet seeks first Grade 1 in Stradbroke Handicap
Since the start of his career in late 2017, the Australian gelding Wild Planet has won five stakes, all in sprints. Wild Planet has won the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill Gardens last September and the Group 3 Coonga Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse last October.
What is missing from Wild Planet’s career record is success in a Group 1 race, with a fourth-place finish, ninth, 11th and second in such races.
Wild Planet will start in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane on Saturday in his second start of 2021. Considering his game second in Group 1 Doomben 10,000 at six furlongs at Eagle Farm on May 15, there is every reason to believe the 5-year-old gelding can show additional progress in a wide-open running of the Stradbroke Handicap at seven furlongs.
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The $1.16 million Stradbroke Handicap drew a full field of 18, with three on the also-eligible list. The field does not have a standout, or several of the leading sprinters in Australia this year. As of Thursday, Vega One was the 5-1 favorite, closely followed by Wild Planet at 7-1 and The Harrovian at 8-1.
Vega One, fourth in the 2020 Stradbroke Handicap, won the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup at 6 1/2 furlongs at Eagle Farm on May 29, two weeks after finishing fourth in the Doomben 10,000.
The Harrovian, a winner of a remarkable 17 of 33 starts, was third in the Doomben 10,000, beaten a little more than a half-length at 20-1. The Harrovian is unbeaten in two starts at Eagle Farm, the most recent of which was the Bernborough Plate Stakes at a mile last December.
The race has such depth that accomplished winners such as Savatoxl, who won the Group 1 Goodwood Stakes at six furlongs at Morphettville on May 15, and Subpoenaed, who was second in the Group 1 Sangster Stakes at six furlongs on May 1, are rated as longshots.
The nine-race all-stakes Eagle Farm program begins at 9:29 p.m., Eastern, or 6:29 p.m., Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
The Stradbroke Handicap is the eighth race, immediately preceded by the Group 1 J.J. Atkins Plate for 2-year-olds at a mile.
The field of 14 is led by Tiger of Malay, Converge and Port Louis, the first three finishers of the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes at seven furlongs at Eagle Farm on May 19.
Converge broke from post 15 in a field of 17 in that race and closed from 16th to finish a neck behind Tiger of Malay. Converge drew a more friendly position in post 5 for the $774,600 J.J. Atkins and is expected to be favored at about 5-2.