After two failed Group 1 runs in the lead-up, Gai Waterhouse’s smart mare Driefontein is down in class on Saturday looking to bounce back in the Dane Ripper Stakes 2014 at Eagle Farm Racecourse.

A key support race on Stradbroke Handicap Day, this year’s $200,000 Group 2 Virback Animal Health Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m) has attracted a final field of 14 fillies and mares.

To wear the number one saddlecloth from a nice barrier five draw with top Sydney hoop Nash Rawiller in the saddle is Waterhouse’s Fastnet Rock four-year-old Driefontein.

Winner of the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) in Adelaide at the end of autumn, Driefontein failed in her next Morphettville run when 15^th behind Smokin’ Joey in the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) on May 10.

She was disappointing again on May 24 at Doomben then when seventh behind gun local Spirit Of Boom in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m), efforts Waterhouse is hoping she can atone for on the weekend over the 1400m at the roomier Eagle Farm track.

Waterhouse is dually represented in the Dane Ripper Stakes field this year too having also accepted for the in-form Cosmic Endeavour.

Drawn one inside her stablemate with barrier four, Tommy Berry to ride, the Northern Meteor filly has won two of her past three Sydney starts and is looking to bring that form to Queensland.

Winner of the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) on April 12, Cosmic Endeavour went on to run third behind Aerobatics in the Group 3 The Darley Crown (1300m) at Hawkesbury before winning the Inglis Scone Guineas over 1400m on May 17.

She gets the 1400m again on Saturday and should be fresh after the three week break between runs.

The only other last start winner in the Dane Ripper this year is then the John O’Shea-trained Seaside (barrier nine) who also won at Scone that day taking out the Group 3 Dark Jewel Classic (1400m).

Dark Jewel Classic runner-up was the fellow O’Shea-trained, Darley-owned Aerobatics who also backs up in the Dane Ripper.

She’s drawn double digits with gate 11, Hugh Bowman replacing Christian Reith in the saddle as they look to return to their Darley Crown winning form despite drawing the extreme outside barrier (14) for the weekend.

The other major player meanwhile will be the Chris Waller-trained Catkins out to emulate her dual Group 1 winning stablemate Red Tracer who won last year’s Dane Ripper before going on to win the $500,000 Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1440m).

Both Red Tracer, who runs in the $1.36 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) on Saturday, and Catkins are 2014 Tattersall’s Tiara bound this year.

They both also come via a run in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick from the end of April, Catkins having finished sixth on the back of a Group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1500m) victory at Rosehill.

Other notable Dane Ripper Stakes hopes then include the local Rob Heathcote-trained Fire Up Fifi who ran third to River Lad in the Group 3 BRC Sprint last time out and Simon Miller’s Perth raider Platinum Rocker who ran third behind Stradbroke hope Srikandi in the Glenlogan Park Stakes two weeks ago.

See below for the complete Dane Ripper Stakes 2014 field, barriers and jockeys.

Then make sure you’ve got an account open online at Ladbrokes.com.au who will be opening all their Straddie Day betting markets shortly!

2014 Dane Ripper Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Eagle Farm Race 5 (1:45pm) – 07/06/2014

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Br.	Wgt.	Hcp. Rating
1	4×41651107	DRIEFONTEIN	Gai Waterhouse	Nash Rawiller	5	59.5kg	109
2	1312×11316	CATKINS	Chris Waller	Hugh Bowman	11	59.5kg	110
3	7168×73512	AEROBATICS	John O’Shea	Glen Boss	14	59.5kg	102
4	1533×65083	FIRE UP FIFI	Robert Heathcote	Timothy Bell	8	58.5kg	105
5	10x1312x33	PLATINUM ROCKER	Simon A Miller	Peter Knuckey	2	58.5kg	101
6	0x210x2428	PLUCKY BELLE	Peter G Moody	Luke Nolen	12	58.5kg	98
7	5x63134x61	SEASIDE	John O’Shea	Kerrin McEvoy	9	58.5kg	97
8	96x6858x38	KAZANLUK	Anthony Freedman	Ryan Wiggins	6	58.5kg	82
9	44×1642131	COSMIC ENDEAVOUR	Gai Waterhouse	Tommy Berry	4	58kg	101
10	138×622633	GIG	Shawn Mathrick	Chris Munce	13	56.5kg	90
11	10x227x850	PERON	John P Thompson	Blake Shinn	1	56.5kg	98
12	x5441215x3	MYAMIRA	Rodney Northam	Damien Oliver	10	56.5kg	90
13	2111×5352	BELLE DE COEUR	Luke Price	Michael Rodd	7	55.5kg	85
14	5179x3553x	LUCKY LAGO	Peter & Paul Snowden	Damian Browne	3	55.5kg	89