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Week One of the Brisbane Winter Carnival. The two Group 2 features come late in the day; Race 8 is the Victory Stakes for the sprinters and the meeting closes with a very even Queensland Guineas.
The best on the card comes in Race 5, a 1300m Quality for three-year-olds. Godolphin's INHIBITIONS is the class runner, with four minor placings in stakes races to her name. Save for stablemate Amur who is first-up, no other runner in the field has filled a top-three spot at black-type level.
Two runs back Inhibitions carried topweight and edged out Moesha at Caulfield, a filly who subsequently ran a cracking second in the Group 2 Tobin Bronze in Adelaide. It was then off to Sydney for the Group 3 James H B Carr Stakes, but the dreadful weather saw the track turn to slush and the daughter of Zoustar floundered. Put a line through that performance.
On Saturday she comes back slightly to 1300m which is at the top end of her preferred distance range. From a decent gate she probably settles just behind the leading division and, although giving weight to her key rivals, should quicken too well and return to the winner's list.
The value runner of the day is PRINCE OF BOOM in the 1200m Victory Stakes.
Robert Heathcote launched his campaign in the 1000m Ascot Quality a fortnight ago. Sent out favourite, he took charge a fair way from home and looked the winner until swamped late. That made it three 1000m runs in succession that he has failed to fill a placing. If we go back to his last run over Saturday's trip, he overcame barrier 14 to win the Group 3 Healy Stakes by 2.2 lengths lumping 60kgs.
This race sets up nicely for the five-year-old. Michael Rodd should lead or box-seat from gate two and with a less frantic pace up front over the six-furlong trip there will be a lot more in the tank late in the piece.
Pre-post favourite Uncommon James is the class runner and an obvious danger, although 1200m off a six-week lay-off might see him struggle in the dying stages. At the prices on offer, Prince Of Boom is a more appealing betting proposition.
BEST BETS:
Race 5 #2 Inhibitions straight-out at $3.60* .
Race 8 #4 Prince Of Boom each-way at $8.50*.
*Odds correct at 1.05pm 2 May 2024.