/ Timeform / 10 June 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Love Conquers All (near side): Tops the Timeform ratings for the Stradbroke
"The winner of the 2011 Stradbroke Handicap should...come from the best three weight-for-age performed runners in Love Conquers All, Beaded and Black Piranha."
Weight-for-age performed gallopers in the form of Love Conquers All, Beaded and Black Piranha stand out as the obvious winning hopes in Saturday's Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm. The race is due off at 06:40 BST on Saturday. Timeform's Gary Crispe runs the rule over the field
A capacity field of 18 will contest the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm where the likes of Beaded, Black Piranha and Love Conquers All are some of the main hopes in what is an open market.
While six horses are currently quoted at single figure odds it is easiest to make cases for the previous three mentioned runners.
Love Conquers All is beginning to develop a reputation as being a Group 1 bridesmaid having finished runner up at his past three runs at the highest level. The four-year-old's latest effort in the Doomben 10,000 when a close second behind Beaded rated 123 which is now the entire's peak Timeform rating. Love Conquers All will meet both Beaded (1.5kg) and Black Piranha (2.5kg) considerably better off at the weights this Saturday in the Stradbroke Handicap than when they each went head to head in the Doomben 10,000. The Hawkes-trained runner has drawn wide which is of some concern however it should be noted six winners of the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in its past 20 renewals have won after jumping from wider than gate 12.
Beaded finally claimed a long overdue Group 1 last start in the Doomben 10,000 (1350m) where she also ran to her new peak Timeform figure of 120. The Peter Snowden-trained mare has be a model of consistency right throughout her career with ten wins and nine placings from 20 career starts. The only occasion Beaded didn't finish in the placings was when a close fourth behind Black Piranha during the 2010 renewal of the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m). Beaded contests the 2011 Stradbroke Handicap second up following a two-month break whereas the 2010 renewal was the daughter of Lonhro's sixth campaign start. The determined mare will go into the Stradbroke fitter from her latest winning effort where Beaded has hopefully shaken off her Group 1 jinx. Like last year though Beaded has drawn barrier 17 and will have little choice but to roll forward.
Beaded will be required to overcome another hoodoo on Saturday if she is to take out the Stradbroke Handicap with the last mare to win the event Capris in 1936.
Third behind both Beaded and Love Conquers All, Black Piranha also has to be considered as he seeks to become the first horse to win three consecutive Stradbroke Handicap's. Black Piranha recorded his peak Timeform figure of 124 when he claimed the 2010 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) renewal. The veteran seven-year-old goes into Saturday's Stradbroke Handicap third up from a spell and based on his encouraging Doomben 10000 effort rated at 121, it appears trainer Con Karakatsanis will have the son of Clang peaking for this event. A rise to 1400m will also suit Black Piranha who was making ground on his Doomben 10000 rivals last start over the closing stages.
The combination of boasting the highest Timeform figures across the capacity field and their current form makes it hard to fault any of these three aforementioned runners.
They are also well weighted compared to a large majority of the field thanks to the weights being compressed. This is due to the early entries of Black Caviar and Hay List who were originally slugged with 60.5kg and 57.5kg respectively with connections of both sprinters subsequently electing not to contest the event.
Love Conquers All, Beaded and Black Piranha sit near the top of the market as they have previously run the Timeform figures necessary to win a moderate to strong renewal of the Stradbroke Handicap with the event's current five-year-average a touch under 120.
Other runners however are considered genuine chances based on markets for the race despite not also boasting such figures which we will now go through.
Robert Heathcote-trained Woorim currently shares joint favouritism for the race and while his last start win in the Group 3 BRC Sprint (1350m) was eye catching, it only yielded a Timeform rating of 112. The five-year-old will need to show improvement to the extent of a career best performance and has received no favours having drawn barrier 18.
Thankgodyou'rehere has a master Timeform figure of 113 which was achieved when third during the BRC Sprint. The Pat and Wayne Webster-trained five-year-old sits in the same boat as Woorim in terms of needing a career best performance to win Saturday's Stradbroke Handicap. The Sydney-based sprinter will however enjoy a better barrier, starting from 11 and 1400m is arguably his best distance.
Three-year-olds have won five of the past 20 Stradbroke Handicaps with Sincero and Buffering representing the current three-year-crop on Saturday.
Sincero is another quoted at single figure odds who will be required to lift in order to win a maiden Group 1. The Stephen Farley-trained three-year-old was an early favourite for the Stradbroke Handicap after success in the $250,000 Inglis 3YO Guineas (1600m) at Scone on May 14 with a performance rated 112. Doubters of Sincero have come out in droves since the Umatilla gelding was easily held in the Group 2 QTC Cup (1300m) last start when 11th. Sincero will wear blinkers for the first time in the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) which may allow for the additional improvement required to be competitive on Saturday.
If people are looking for a runner to support at generous odds, a value option may be the Robert Heathcote-trained Buffering. Unlike Sincero, Buffering has the peak Timeform figure necessary to win a Stradbroke Handicap having taken out the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) first up with a performance rated 121. Buffering was also at one stage an early favourite for the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) however cold water was poured on his chances after the Mossman gelding finished a distant last in the Group 1 Doomben 10000 (1350m) a fortnight ago. It was Buffering's first attempt at a race greater than 1200m in distance and also at weight-for-age. If you can forgive the effort, at long odds and back to Handicap conditions, Buffering is worth some thought. Buffering will go to the lead and may take running down if he can bounce back from his disappointing performance last start where he overraced at stages.
Three of the last five winners of the Stradbroke Handicap have saluted at double figure odds. The winner of the 2011 Stradbroke Handicap should however come from the best three weight-for-age performed runners in Love Conquers All, Beaded and Black Piranha.
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