2016 Group 1 Doomben Cup final field, barrier draw, odds and news

The field for the $650,000 Group 1 Doomben Cup on Saturday has been finalised with 10 runners taking their place.

The 2016 Doomben Cup features prominent training figures of Australasian racing and although it’s only a small field, it is packed full of ability and punters could have a hard time picking their clear-cut favourite.

Chris Waller is seeking his 16th group one winner this season and he has a two-pronged attack for the Doomben Cup. Imported runner Spiritjim has been well-supported by punters in the all-in markets over the last month and he also lines up Lady Le Fay which will carry equal light weight of 57kg.

John O’Shea and Godolphin will also line up two runners. The best of them is Hauraki which was the early $3.80 favourite at Sportsbet.com.au in the futures markets. The rising star has been knocking on the door of a major win this season and many punters believe it has found a race to its liking.

It’s Somewhat will prove its worth for O’Shea, but with James McDonald taking the ride on Hauraki, it’s clearly Godolphin’s second-rate pick.

Team Hawkes line up two with Our Ivanhowe and Leebaz. Both runners are a winning chance with Our Ivanhowe being slated as a possible 2016 Melbourne Cup chance at odds. Winning the group one Doomben Cup hasn’t been the best form guide for the Melbourne spring carnival, but this field wouldn’t look out of place come October/November.

2016 Doomben Cup field and barrier draw

1. Volkstok’n’barrell (5)
2. Hauraki (1)
3. Our Ivanhowe (6)
4. Leebaz (2)
5. It’s Somewhat (9)
6. Messene (4)
7. Maurus (10)
8. Spiritjim (3)
9. Noble Protector (8)
10. Lady Le Fay (7)

Barrier draws over 2000m don’t matter too much in the running. We expect Messene to head forward from barrier four with the likes of Hauraki and potentially Noble Protector sitting just off the pace.

Punters wanting to back current favourite Hauraki should be concerned that only three of the last 10 favourites have won the Doomben Cup. Two of those favourites have, however, come in the last two years with Pornichet ($3.50) and Streama ($3.25) winning in 2015 and 2014.

Leebaz placed behind Streama in 2014 and will be back to go one better this time around. It also has form behind Winx when it ran fifth in the Apollo Stakes in February.

2016 Doomben Cup updated market and news

1. Volkstok’n’barrel – $6
2. Hauraki – $3.40
3. Our Ivanhowe – $10
4. Leebaz – $12
5. It’s Somewhat – $6 at Sportsbet.com.au
6. Messene – $17
7. Maurus – $21
8. Spiritjim – $9
9. Noble Protector – $8
10. Lady Le Fay – $15

Bet with Crownbet

There has been plenty of support for the New Zealand runner Volkstok’n’barrel which is looking to give New Zealand its first Doomben Cup win since King Keitel won in 2001.

“We are overdue,” co-trainer Donna Logan said.

The four-year-old won in New Zealand prior to running in the Doncaster Handicap where it failed to impress. Its last start performance in the Group 2 Hollindale Cup was much better when it flashed home for third and Logan is confident of a nice run this Saturday.

“He really needed the hit out in the Hollindale. Volkstok’n’barrell got well back and had to make a long sweeping run,” Logan said, who trains in partnership with Chris Gibbs.

“The month between runs told at the end but I was very happy with the effort. In fact I was stoked.

“He is spot on. He has really tightened up and the track should suit him.”

Race-rival Maurus might be a $21 chance at Sportsbet, but trainer David Vandyke believes his progressive stayer is going better than stablemate Sir John Hawkwood.

Vandyke also trains Astronomos which has plenty of upside and he thinks Maurus is the best of the three.

“He is going the best [of the three] at the moment, especially for a 2000m race,” Vandyke said.

“I could have run Sir John Hawkwood, Astronomos or Maurus [in the Doomben Cup] and Maurus is the most progressive and he is showing a new level of ability in attitude, in trackwork and at his most recent start.

“I think coming back from 2200m to 2000m will be ideal and he will be strong the whole way.”

The five-year-old is coming off an easy win at Doomben where it won by over three lengths and Vandyke expects it to run well again.

“He is making a quantum leap in class going from an open handicap to a group one but he is a very tough horse and he is a last start Doomben track winner which carries some weight,” Vandyke said.

“He deserves to be double figure odds but I think he is going to run a mighty race.”

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