The Stradbroke Handicap 2017 takes centre stage in Brisbane this weekend and below we have a comprehensive form guide analysis and betting preview on the winter sprint.

Plenty stacks up for Mackintosh in the 2017 Stradbroke Handicap form guide ahead of the Group 1 at Doomben this Saturday. Photo: Daniel Costello.

Traditionally run over 1400m at Eagle Farm, this year’s $1.5 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) has been transferred to Doomben Racecourse and is set to run as Race 8 at 3:40pm (AEST) on Saturday.

A capacity field of 16 confirmed starters will take to the track for the carnival’s premier event and the latest Stradbroke Handicap odds at Ladbrokes.com.au feature five single-figure fancies.

The Stradbroke Handicap results over the past decade however have been dominated by upsets with seven winners saluted at double-figures including the past five on the trot.

The last Stradbroke Handicap favourite to salute was Black Piranha (2009) and this year the punters’ pick out to break the drought is the Kris Lees-trained Clearly Innocent ($4.60 out to $5).

Last start winner of the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm on May 27, the up-and-comer has stellar form over the distance but a wide alley to overcome jumping from gate 15 of 16 once the emergencies come out.

The dangers according to Stradbroke Handicap betting in 2017 include the Chris Waller-trained Kingsford-Smith Cup third placegetter Counterattack ($7.50), his stablemate Mackintosh ($7) wearing blinkers first-up at a track he’s yet to taste defeat at and the Darren Weir-trained Ulmann ($8.50) getting in on a nice 53.5kg light weight.

The race may be taking place at Doomben for just the second time in over 30 years, but there’s still plenty to consider looking at the Stradbroke Handicap form guide, statistics and historical data before placing your bets at Ladbrokes.com.au this weekend.

2017 Stradbroke Handicap Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Stradbroke Handicap winner was the Robert Smerdon-trained Under The Louvre (2016) who came off a The Goodwood second in Adelaide, jumped from barrier 13 (of 18) and had Dwayne Dunn aboard for his win at odds of $11 carrying 54.5kg to victory
• Robert Smerdon (3-1-0-0) is out to be the first back-to-back winning Stradbroke Handicap trainer since Con Karakatsanis (Black Piranha, 2009-10) saddling up #6 Hooked ($31) and also having the fifth emergency #21e Oak Door ($81) accepted for Saturday
• The only other previous Stradbroke Handicap winning trainer with a starter this year is John Hawkes (40-1-2-1) with #12 Kaepernick ($34), while Michael Moroney (6-1-0-0) has the third emergency #19e Yesterday’s Songs ($61)
• The previous Stradbroke Handicap winning jockeys with a ride this winter are: Kerrin McEvoy (10-1-1-0) on #8 Mackintosh, Luke Nolen (3-1-0-0) on #10 Ulmann, Jim Byrne (13-1-0-1) on #14 Gold Symphony and Craig Williams on #15 Derryn
• The barrier form for this year’s Stradbroke Handicap is hard to stack-up against past results as the race runs at Doomben that has a different track circumference than Eagle Farm
• The last time the race ran at Doomben however was 2015 when the Ciaron Maher-trained mare Srikandi won from barrier one of 15
• The inside barrier for the Stradbroke Handicap 2017 at Doomben this year belongs to #8 Mackintosh ($7)

• Three of the past five Stradbroke Handicap winners had their final lead-up in a Group 1 race
• Two last start winners in the past four years have won the Stradbroke with Linton (2013) and River Lad (2014) having won a Group 3 lead-up at Morphettville and Doomben respectively
• The last start winners in this weekend’s Stradbroke Handicap field are: #1 Clearly Innocent (Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup, 1300m, Eagle Farm, 27/05/2017), #3 Burning Front (Group 3 RA Lee Stakes, 1600m, Morphettville, 20/05/2017) and the second emergency #18e Bonny O’Reilly (Listed Helen Coughlan Stakes, 1200m, Doomben, 03/06/2017)
• #3 Burning Front ($15) is out to complete the RA Lee Stakes – Stradbroke Handicap double for the first time since Linton (2013)
• The Kingsford-Smith Cup replaces the Doomben 10,000 as the key lead-up race into the Stradbroke Handicap from 2017 with changes to the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival
• #1 Clearly Innocent ($5) chases the Kingsford-Smith Cup – Stradbroke Handicap double in the former’s inaugural year
• The other Kingsford-Smith Cup graduates backing up in Saturday rematch are: Jungle Edge (2^nd), Counterattack (3^rd), Impending (4^th), Derryn (6^th) and Hopfgarten (9^th)
• The past five Stradbroke Handicap winners saluted at double-figures with notable upsets including Mid Summer Music ($31 in 2012), Linton ($26 in 2013) and River Lad ($31 in 2014)
• The last Stradbroke Handicap favourite to salute for the punters was Black Piranha (2009) who was the first since Thorn Park (2004)
• #1 Clearly Innocent leads Stradbroke Handicap betting this weekend
• The other single-figure hopes in the Stradbroke Handicap odds out to break the hoodoo are #8 Mackintosh ($7), #4 Counterattack ($7.50), #10 Ulmann ($8.50) and #2 Jungle Edge ($9.50)
• Six-year-olds have dominated the recent Stradbroke Handicap results with five winners since 2008
• The six-year-olds in the field this weekend are: #2 Jungle Edge, #3 Burning Front, #6 Hooked, #9 Hopfgarten and the third emergency #19 Yesterday’s Songs

• Since Rough Habit (58.5kg in 1992) no Stradbroke Handicap winner has carried more than 56kg to victory
• This year #1 Clearly Innocent (57kg) gives the weight away to his rivals
• Two mares have won the Stradbroke Handicap in the past five years; the mares in the line-up this weekend are: #7 In Her Time ($18), #13 Egyptian Symbol ($13) and second emergency #18e Bonny O’Reilly ($13)

• Of the 16 guaranteed a run in the Stradbroke Handicap field the highest Win Rate belongs to #1 Clearly Innocent (60%) followed by #8 Mackintosh (46%) and #7 In Her Time (42%)
• Excluding emergency runners the highest Place Rate of the field belongs to: #13 Egyptian Symbol (76%) followed by #3 Burning Front (75%)
• Of the confirmed starters the horses with the best winning form over the distance (1300m – 1400m) are: #1 Clearly Innocent (6-5-0-0), #9 Hopfgarten (18-4-2-1), #10 Ulmann (16-4-3-2), #11 Rageese (9-4-1-0), #3 Burning Front (15-3-6-2), #6 Hooked (13-3-1-0), #8 Mackintosh (3-2-0-0) and #2 Jungle Edge (9-2-1-3)
• The confirmed runners with the best winning form at the track (Doomben) are: #9 Hopfgarten (16-4-3-0-), #8 Mackintosh (2-2-0-0), #2 Jungle Edge (1-1-0-0), #4 Counterattack (5-1-1-0) and #6 Hooked (3-1-0-0)

Stay tuned for our insider Stradbroke Handicap 2017 tips, checking out the full race form guide provided by Ladbrokes.com.au below in the meantime.