This Saturday the Group 1 racing action of the Brisbane Winter Carnival hits fever pitch with the state’s richest race taking place at Eagle Farm Racecourse, the Races.com.au team’s exclusive 2013 Stradbroke Handicap form guide analysis and betting preview for which is detailed below.

Sizzling is undefeated over the Stradbroke Handicap track (Eagle Farm) and distance (1400m) going into Saturday's race. Photo: Daniel Costello.

Running as Race 8 at 3:40pm (AEST) the $1.36 million Group 1 AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) features a capacity field this year and is shaping up as a top class showdown between the ace three-year-olds of the season and their older rivals.

Betting is dominated by the young guns this year with the firming favourite being the Anthony Cummings-trained Your Song who is being tipped to return to their blistering first-up form when an easy five length winner of the Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m) at Eagle Farm last month.

Your Song relished a Heavy (9) track that day and with the continued rain in Brisbane leading up to Stradbroke Handicap Day they have been smashed in the markets and are now the clear $4.80 fancy despite their last start sixth in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m).

Former co-favourite now second elect is then Kelso Wood’s local galloper Sizzling ($5.50) out wide in gate 18 who won the Queensland Guineas last Saturday.

Others under double figures then include the widely-drawn Doomben 10,000 winner Epaulette ($7), the Rob Heathcote-trained Buffering ($8.50) and fellow local hope Better Than Ready ($8.50).

With so many hopes at single figures to win, a number of lead-up races to consider and the possibility of a wet track picking this year’s Stradbroke Handicap winner could be tough going.

So to help you place the winning bets on the classic we’ve gone over the field and form guide to come up with the below must know Stradbroke Handicap betting facts and statistics.

2013 Stradbroke Handicap Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Stradbroke Handicap winner was the Peter Moody-trained Mid Summer Music who came via a ninth in the Doomben 10,000 and was ridden by Luke Nolen from barrier 5 (of 18)
• Horse Racing Tip The Doomben 10,000 is the proven form race for the Stradbroke producing seven of the last 10 winners and six runners on Saturday come via that lead-up this year
  Join now to bet with
• This year Moody will be represented by #5 My Quest For Peace ($51), seventh in the Doomben 10,000 last start, who has the extreme outside barrier with last year’s winner Nolen in the saddle again
• Other horses coming via the Doomben 10,000 this year are then #2 Epaulette (1^st), #1 Buffering (3^rd), #9 Spirit Of Boom (4^th), #17 Better Than Ready (5^th), #8 Your Song (6^th) and #12 Yosei (9^th)
• The Doomben 10,000 is the proven form race for the Stradbroke producing seven of the last 10 winners including three horses that ran second in the Doomben Group 1 before winning the grand final
• Last year’s winning barrier (5) was drawn this year by the second emergency #20e Conservatorium ($71) but if all five emergencies fail to gain a run it will belong to #11 Hot Snitzel (currently in nine)
• The most successful Stradbroke Handicap barrier (since 1983) with four wins is gate 18; this year #18 Sizzling ($5.50) drew that wide draw but with emergencies out they will come into 14 and barrier 18 will belong to #5 My Quest For Peace (currently drawn in 23)
• Barriers 3, 4, 6 and 12 have then produced three winners each over the past three decades
• Four barriers are yet to produce a Stradbroke Handicap winner with 2, 13, 15 and 16
• #17 Better Than Ready ($8.50) boasts the highest Win Rate of the field with 50% followed by #2 Epaulette (45.45%), #18 Sizzling (43.75%), #3 Solzhenitsyn (40%) and #7 Decision Time (70%)
• As for the best Place Rate that belongs to #2 Epaulette (81.82%) followed by #8 Your Song (75%), #17 Better Than Ready (75%), #1 Buffering (72.73%) and #4 Streama (72.73%)
• No Stradbroke Handicap winner since Never Undercharge (1993) won their lead-up race; there are six last start winners in the mix this year out to break that hoodoo #2 Epaulette (Group 1 Doomben 10,000, 1200m, Doomben, 25/05/2013), #3 Solzhenitsyn (Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup, 1600m, Doomben, 18/05/2013), #6 Linton (Group 3 RA Lee Stakes, 1600m, Morphettville, 11/05/2013), #13 Belltone (Group 3 BRC Sprint, 1350m, Doomben, 18/05/2013), #15 Fontelina (Listed Luskin Star Stakes, 1300m, Scone, 18/05/2013) and #18 Sizzling (Group 2 Queensland Guineas, 1400m, Eagle Farm, 01/06/2013)
• Favourites have a poor recent record in the race with only two wins in the past 10 years making the task for the new Stradbroke betting favourite #8 Your Song ($4.80) a tough one statistically
• There have also only been six favourites to salute in the past 30 years
• As far as jockeys go Jim Cassidy (2 wins from 14 starts) and Chris Munce (2 wins from 16 starts) are the ace Stradbroke Handicap hoops; both have rides this year with #15 Fontelina (Cassidy) and #18 Sizzling (Munce)
• At Eagle Farm the horses with the best track record are #18 Sizzling (6-5-1-0), #1 Buffering (8-4-1-0), #17 Better Than Ready (5-3-1-1-), #3 Solzhenitsyn (5-2-1-1), #9 Spirit Of Boom (9-2-2-1), #11 Hot Snitzel (3-1-1-0), #12 Yosei (2-1-0-0), #8 Your Song (1-1-0-0) and #14 Famous Seamus (1-1-0-0)
• Over the distance (1400m) the horses to beat are #3 Solzhenitsyn (9-5-1-2), #4 Streama (4-3-1-0), #10 Happy Zero (9-4-0-1), #2 Epaulette (4-3-0-0), #15 Fontelina (4-2-1-0), #6 Linton (6-2-0-1), #13 Belltone (14-7-2-2), #18 Sizzling (5-2-2-0) and #19e Riva De Lago (7-3-0-0)
• There are then five previous winners over the Track & Distance with #18 Sizzling (2-2-0-0), #3 Solzhenitsyn (2-1-1-0), #11 Hot Snitzel (1-1-0-0), #12 Yosei (2-1-0-0) and #13 Belltone (5-1-2-1)
• The track at Eagle Farm is currently rated a Dead (5) but with the chance of rain on race day we could be looking at a Slow rated track – if that’s the case the horses with the best wet track from are #1 Buffering ($8.50), #4 Streama ($16), #8 Your Song $4.80), #9 Spirit Of Boom ($21), #11 Hot Snitzel ($51), #13 Belltone ($18), #14 Famous Seamus ($71), #17 Better Than Ready ($8.50) and #18 Sizzling ($5.50)

Stay tuned for our insider Stradbroke Handicap betting tips and selections.

Think you’ve already got the winners picked out based on the above facts and stats?

Then head straight to bookmaker.com.au who are running an awesome Stradbroke Handicap Money Back Special where if your selections runs 2^nd or 3^rd to a Queensland-trained horse, think Buffering or Sizzling, then you’ll get your stake refunded up to $100!

2013 Stradbroke Handicap Field & Form Guide

Eagle Farm Race 8 – 3:40pm (AEST) – 08/06/2013

*All odds quoted are Fixed Win from bookmaker.com.au and subject to change

*Form Guide Credit – [sportsbet]