Kingsford-Smith Cup Barrier Draw Stats & Info
Doomben Cup Tips & Preview 2022
Looking for Doomben Cup tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2022 Doomben Cup at Eagle Farm.
DOOMBEN CUP BETTING SNAPSHOT
Zaaki is the dominant favourite in markets after the barrier draw and with bet365 the Anabel Neasham galloper is at $1.44.
A Heavy track might bring the likes of Polly Grey into the equation. The Chris Waller mare is $7.50. Huetor is $11 and Kukeracha is $15 $while Coventina Bay heads the rest of the 10-horse field at the $17.
DOOMBEN CUP FORM ANALYSIS
Zaaki did enough to win the Hollindale Stakes (1800m) on a Heavy track at the Golden Coast on May 7. The Hollindale is always one of the key lead ups towards the Doomben Cup and in that race he led before keeping them at bay.
His performance came on a Heavy 8 and Polly Grey settled handy before producing the fastest last 200m to fill the exacta, while Kukeracha was held up before running 3rd.
Five runners in the Doomben Cup come out of the Hollindale Stakes. Huetor was 4th, while the Kiwi, Coventina Bay, was 5th.
Is there one that can surprise Zaaki over the 2000m? Last year, the seven-year-old wen from a two length win in the Hollindale ahead of Fifty Stars before romping to a seven-length win ahead of Toffee Tongue in the Doomben Cup. That came on a Good track and he improved nine lengths on figures from his previous run.
The former import is three from six over the 2000m since coming over with those losses coming at his second run in Australia, while he was undone by Probabeel at Caulfield last year and it took an extraordinary ride from Nash Rawiler aboard Think It Over with that pair running Zaaki down in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) two starts ago.
Polly Grey won on a Heavy 8 at Randwick two starts ago, going 14.6 lengths faster than standard benchmark, which is better than anything Zaaki has produced in his time in Australia. Zaaki went 9.5 lengths faster than standard the week before on a Heavy 10 in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.
Huetor is worth thought and improved 10 lengths on figures at his third run last time in. He is now at the same stage of his current preparation. The Kiwi contender, Coventina Bay, is two from two at the 2000m with those wins coming in NZ. She likes the wet and is a possible improver out of the Hollindale. Kukeracha is likely to need to produce a personal best.
Of those that come out of separate races- not sure about The Chosen One. He is capable of producing a big run but is winless in 16 goes on Soft or worse so is hard to have on that stat. Great House can produce some solid figures but suspect he needs 2400m and above. Maximal and Esti Feny look outclassed.
Yonkers is a new horse on the scene- he wasn’t in the original Doomben Cup that was postponed after the scheduled Doomben meeting was called off. He took out the Chairman’s Quality (2143m) at Eagle Farm on a Soft track on May 14 and is in the mix for a minor placing on that effort.
DOOMBEN CUP TIPS AND BEST BETS
Impossible to go past Zaaki. He is following the same path that he did last year when taking out this race and should enjoy a nice time of it out in front. Polly Grey is the logical exacta horse and is always in the mix on the Heavy, while Coventina Bay is one that can fill the minors. Anchor Zaaki in multiples throughout the day as well as exotics in this race.
