Black type racing returns to Eagle Farm on Saturday and the Group 2 Victory Stakes headlines the nine-race program.
The Victory Stakes is typically the first point of call for sprinters targeting the major Group 1 features of the Brisbane Winter Carnival and with many of those races called off this year, its importance has increased tenfold.
You can find my 2020 Victory Stakes tips below.
Suggested Bets
- 4 Units E/W #15 Outback Barbie
- Boxed Trifecta of the selections below
She simply does not know how to run a bad race and Outback Barbie will take a power of beating in the Victory Stakes.
The Spirit Of Boom mare has been one of, if not the best horse for Tony Gollan’s leading Queensland stables since debuting and as that would suggest, she’s racked up some good results in great races.
Having capped her summer prep with an impressive win in the Magic Millions Quality, she mustered an eye-catching turn of foot to fill the minors of the BRC Sprint when resuming a couple of weeks ago, finishing less than a length from Tambo’s Mate.
While she always performs admirably, she is a horse that tends to enjoy good improvement with a run under her belt and I think she’ll be winning this.
Winter Bride is another horse that will take nice improvement into her second campaign start on Saturday, and the Victory Stakes looks a lovely race for her.
The Not A Single Doubt mare is a multiple black type winner and was sent to New Zealand earlier this year in search of a maiden Group 1 title, a trip which heralded a close-up second in the Group 1 Railway and credible fifth placing in the Group 1 Telegraph.
She resumed in Sydney last month to finish fourth in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes and I like that she has had a trial in the wake of that performance.
Tambo’s Mate is only continuing to improve with each preparation and more specifically, with each start, and I can’t find a reason why he won’t be in the finish of the Victory Stakes.
The Mossman gelding has been a great horse for Stuart Kendrick since debuting in February last year and has recorded eight wins and a further four minors from only sixteen starts.
So far this time, he’s finished on the placegetters’ heels in a 1200m handicap at Doomben, run second over 1000m at the Sunshine Coast and won the BRC Sprint.
Fitter fourth-up, he’ll take beating.
He is clearly a horse of ability, but it is fair to say that Kementari has picked up where he left off since resuming from a failed career at stud and is proving to be extremely costly to punters.
Regardless, he has surely improved for three starts this time and he might not be offered a better opportunity to bounce back into the winner’s stall than this.
The Group 1 winner (2018 Randwick Guineas) filled the minors of a couple of races in Sydney when resuming and did look the one to beat in the BRC Sprint a couple of weeks ago but didn’t finish off.
I can’t tip him to win on what he did in that race, but I think he’s good for a first four finish.