2024 Brisbane Handicap Day Tips & Preview
Skirt The Law is set to contest Saturday's Listed Mick Dittman Plate. Photo: Steve Hart.

2024 Brisbane Handicap Day Tips & Preview

The action continues to heat up at Eagle Farm this Saturday with three black-type races on offer.

The Brisbane Mile Handicap is the feature on the nine-race meeting, the $300,000 Listed event attracting two of Ciaron Maher’s top four-year-olds – Jimmysstar and Gringotts.

With the Brisbane Winter Carnival right around the corner, you can find our thoughts on every race this Saturday at Eagle Farm below.

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Race 1 - 11:38AM STRADBROKE CALCUTTA ON SALE NOW BENCHMARK 75 Handicap (1815 METRES)
No. 4 Dark Harmony

Dark Harmony continues to improve with racing, recently finding the line late for fourth over the mile where he was the beaten favourite.

Chris Munce’s four-year-old led out of the turn and was swamped around the 200m mark, but I thought he would have held on for a place if he wasn’t bumped by another runner not far from the post.

Like others, this is his first look at anything out past the mile, but from a better gate and likely to challenge for the early lead, he’ll be in this for a long way with fitness on his side.

Race 2 - 12:13PM MOUNT FRANKLIN BENCHMARK 78 Handicap (2400 METRES)
No. 7 Bak Da Man

Bak Da Man has likeable form over his last two starts, notably beating home Shezadandi two back over the track and distance – a mare he now meets worse off at the weights.

The five-year-old son of Reliable Man did give a nice sight when finishing within a length of Clyde two weeks ago at Doomben though, form that has been franked with Warp Speed going on to win his next start.

The gate makes this a challenge, but proven over the trip with an in-form Robbie Dolan in the saddle are two big ticks.

Race 3 - 12:48PM STRADBROKE SEASON BOOK NOW QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap (1200 METRES)
No. 12 Jemoma Alpilage

Jemoma Alpilage has been around the mark in both runs back and looks to have found the right race to finally break through.

Kevin Kemp’s filly ran on late with a big run after missing the start fresh at Doomben, and then showed further improvement to finish just over two lengths off the unbeaten Gin A Tonic here over the track and distance a month later.

By Lean Mean Machine, this smart two-year-old has been kept fresh for the run, but in well at the weights and drawn a perfect barrier, she’ll be strong to the line once again.

Race 4 - 1:23PM SKY RACING BENCHMARK 75 Handicap (1400 METRES)
No. 10 Too Hard To Refuse

Too Hard To Refuse has gone up a bankable each-way price coming off a solid runner-up effort over the track and distance three weeks ago.

David Forster’s gelding was three-wide, no cover approaching the straight, finding luck in running where he went within half a length of the impressive Bean Foggy.

Second-up, his record makes for easy reading, and we should see him settle handy this time in behind the speed.

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Race 5 - 1:58PM TOM TRESTON BENCHMARK 90 Handicap (1300 METRES)
No. 7 Bettcha The Crown

Bettcha The Crown is racing on the fresh side after last being seen on the Gold Coast finishing a narrow runner-up to Goldeel on March 9.

The Casino Prince four-year-old has been given a trial between starts to keep him sharp and also presents with some likeable form around Boom Torque, who last start ran third in the Gold Jewel.

This is a drop back in class for Desleigh Forster’s gelding. If he can use some early speed and offset the gate, he’ll be up on the speed and in this for a long way.

Race 6 - 2:33PM LADBROKES MICK DITTMAN PLATE (1000 METRES)
No. 7 Skirt The Law

Skirt The Law is a Group caliber filly that went awfully close to winning bigger races than this during the spring.

Tony Gollan’s three-year-old by Better Than Ready laid down a serious challenge to Charm Stone in the Quezette at Caulfield last August, a filly that has since gone on to finish just over a length off Militarize in the Golden Rose.

More recently, her trial win against a small field really caught the eye, and she does get in well at the weights here under Vlad Duric.

Proven fresh, she’s one of the toughest to beat on the day.

Race 7 - 3:08PM XXXX BENCHMARK 85 Handicap (1000 METRES)
No. 7 Frilled

Frilled has likeable form around Red Card from earlier in the year, a mare that went on to win a Group 3 in her next start at Rosehill in March.

The daughter of Star Witness hasn’t been seen since she finished just over 2.5 lengths off that day, but has shown plenty in recent trials dos suggest she can add to her outstanding first-up record.

This is her first look at Eagle Farm, but with five wins from six starts over 1000m to her name, as well as a potentially dry track, it’s hard to argue with her status as favourite.

Race 8 - 3:47PM MORETON HIRE BRISBANE MILE QUALITY Handicap (1600 METRES)
No. 5 Jimmystar

Jimmysstar has been a treat for Ciaron Maher so far during his short career, winning five of his eight starts – the last coming at Caulfield over 1400m off a freshen-up.

The stable threw him in the deep end in the Newcastle Newmarket last time out where he was only seen making up late ground after settling in the back half of the field.

Based on what we’ve seen over the last year, he tends to do his best racing fresh and is clearly here to win with bigger races in mind come the Winter Carnival.

Keep in mind, he is down to race at Rosehill, but of the two stable picks in this race, I think he’s the more likely one to go around.

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Race 9 - 4:23PM AQUIS STALLIONS PRINCESS STAKES (1600 METRES)
No. 1 Amazonian Lass

The Waterhouse and Bott-trained Amazonian Lass is on another Oaks path after finishing a clear fourth behind Zardozi in the Victorian edition last November.

The More Than Ready three-year-old has been given a good break, bypassing the autumn carnival and having her trials spaced in time for the Brisbane Winter.

She’s was only plain in her last effort at Randwick, but that was also the case leading into her spring prep last year.

Overall, I doubt the mile troubles her fresh, making her a decent each-way prospect in a race with a few key chances.