This weekend the feature race of the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival runs at Doomben Racecourse with the 2015 Stradbroke Handicap offering $2 million in total prize money, betting tips and exotic selections on the classic detailed below.

Charlie Boy is the Races.com.au tip to win the 2015 Stradroke Handicap at Doomben on Saturday. Photo: Daniel Costello.

Running as Race 8 at 3:37pm (AEST) on the nine-race Doomben program, this year’s $2 million Group 1 AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) field features 16 starters including the first emergency and favourite Lumosty.

The Robert Smerdon-trained filly pays $4.60 in the latest Stradbroke Handicap odds to be the first favourite since Black Piranha ($3) for his first in 2009 before he won again in 2010 as a 20/1 shot.

Lumosty, who got a call-up after injury ruled the Robbie Laing-trained Lord Of The Sky out of the race, comes off back-to-back Flemington wins in Melbourne including a runaway effort in the listed The Straight Six (1200m) on May 23 with 54kg on her back.

This weekend she gets in on just 50.5kg but is right up in class and facing much stiffer competition.

Just two of her rivals are also under $10 for the win on Saturday and both are on the drift with Lumosty now a confirmed starter in Queensland’s richest race with Peter & Paul Snowden’s in-form four-year-old Charlie Boy ($7.50) and the Perth raider Black Heart Bart ($9) who is second-up after a fourth in Adelaide’s Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m).

So will the three single figure fancies be the first three over the line in Saturday’s feature race or is there value to be found tipping an upset Stradbroke Handicap result from the likes of the widely-drawn Generalife ($10), the Chris Waller-trained young gun Delectation ($10) well-weighted with only 52kg, the Kiwi in the mix Sacred Star ($11) who is drawn a treat in barrier four with Zac Purton riding or Waller’s Doomben 10,000 winner Boban ($13) carrying the 58kg top weight?

1^st

#8 Charlie Boy ($7.50)

There’s a number of livewire chances but really like the lead-up form of this Team Snowden-trained four-year-old who won the Group 3 BRC Sprint over this track and distance by a half-length in his first Brisbane run before his good second behind Boban in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in top company last time out. He was beaten only a neck in that and was carrying 59kg from a wide barrier 15 of 16 draw. For the rematch Charlie Boy drops down to just 54kg so is well weighted and with Craig Williams aboard from a gun barrier six draw, which last produced a Stradbroke winner in 2008 with Mr Baritone, he should be peaking and right in the finish.

2^nd

#17 Lumosty ($4.60)

All the money is on Smerdon’s three-year-old filly who was ultra-impressive at Flemington in her two runs this time in and made the field in this thanks to Lord Of The Sky coming out. She’s definitely an up-and-comer with claims, but like Srikandi last year, think she’ll just be outclassed in this company. She won by a big margin in The Straight Six a fortnight ago but only beat home Le Bonsir so needs to be improving. Gets the weight advantage with only 50.5kg and jockey Corey Brown is a gun at this track so they are big ticks. She’ll get back from the barrier, can she finish it off?

3^rd

#14 Srikandi ($10)

She was the young filly to beat in this 12 months ago coming off the ace Brisbane form and was far from disgraced when third. She’s had a year to mature but the form has been hit-and-miss this carnival. She won the Group 2 Victory Stakes at the Gold Coast before failing to finish in the money in the BTC Cup (8^th) and the 10,000 (6^th). She gets the rails run for the Stradbroke now with a jockey change, Brown replaced by Kerrin McEvoy. Faded late last time out, has been working well since over the past fortnight and tongue-tie in will help.

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