The second Group 1 of the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival takes place on Saturday and below punters will find a comprehensive 2017 Doomben Cup form guide analysis and betting preview on the weight-for-age feature.

Amelie’s Star is the best fancied of the three mares taking on the boys in Saturday’s Doomben Cup field 2017. Photo: Jenny Barnes.

Sixteen stayers face off in this year’s $650,000 Group 1 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) when the classic runs as Doomben Race 7 at 4:01pm (AEST).

Five of the runners are under double figures for the win in the latest Doomben Cup betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au including $4.20 favourite It’s Somewhat for the powerhouse Godolphin stable.

The now Darren Beadman-trained Doncaster Mile winner chases a fourth win on the trot and gives Beadman the chance to become just the second man in history to both ride and train a Doomben Cup champion.

Last time out It’s Somewhat won the Group 2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast and after drawing well in barrier six (into five), he looks a deserving favourite that could prove hard to beat.

If It’s Somewhat’s winning streak has come to an end the other best fancied in the Doomben Cup odds after the prize are Darren Weir’s in-form European import Articus ($4.80) and stablemate Amelie’s Star who has been well-backed in from $13 to $9.50.

Below we have a look over the full Doomben Cup form guide, betting history and statistical data to help uncover any value in the markets for the Brisbane Group 1 on the weekend.

2017 Doomben Cup Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Doomben Cup winner was the Lee & Anthony Freedman-trained Our Ivanhowe (2016) who came off an unplaced run (10^th) in Sydney’s Group 1 The BMW (2400m), jumped from barrier 6 (of 10) and had Kerrin McEvoy aboard for his upset win as a $16 shot in betting
• Kerrin McEvoy (3-1-0-0) shoots for back-to-back Doomben Cup wins by a hoop for the second time in four years after the success of Blake Shinn (2014-15) booked to ride #6 McCreery ($19) on Saturday
• The other previous Doomben Cup winning jockeys with a ride this weekend are: Blake Shinn (4-2-0-0) on #5 Star Exhibit ($13) and Hugh Bowman (5-1-1-1) on #2 Preferment ($26)
• The only previous Doomben Cup winning trainer (since 1983) with a starter on Saturday is Chris Waller (18-2-3-3) with #2 Preferment, #4 Vanbrugh and #6 McCreery

• Last year’s winning barrier (6) has produced two Doomben Cup winners (since 1983) and is drawn this year by #1 It’s Somewhat but will belong to #12 Articus (8) if the two emergencies – #17e Sound Proposition (7) and #18e Auvray (1) – fail to gain a start
• The most successful Doomben Cup barriers in that time producing an equal 4 winners each 2, 4 and 11
• Those barriers (if the emergencies come out) will belong this year to: #8 Benzini (3 into 2), #15 Jessy Belle (5 into 4) and #7 Cylinder Beach (13 into 11)
• Just three favourites have saluted for the Doomben Cup punters in the past decade most recently Pornichet ($3.50 in 2015); #1 It’s Somewhat ($4.20) is the top fancy in markets this weekend

• Four and five-year-olds have dominated the Doomben Cup results from the past 10 years with three wins each
• Mares have a very poor record in the Doomben Cup with just the two wins from the past 30 plus years most recently Streama (2014)
• The mares in the 2017 Doomben Cup field up for the challenge are: #14 Single Gaze ($9.50), #15 Jessy Belle ($51) and early market mover #16 Amelie’s Star ($9.50)
• The Hollindale Stakes has produced five of the past 10 Doomben Cup winners including Streama (2014) and Metal Bender (2010) who completed the double
• #1 It’s Somewhat chases the A.D. Hollindale Stakes – Doomben Cup double in 2017
• The other Hollindale Stakes graduates in the Group 1 on Saturday are: Single Gaze (2^nd), Maurus (3^rd), Preferment (4^th), Rudy (5^th), Sense Of Occasion (6^th), Cylinder Beach (7^th) and McCreery (9^th)
• Five of the past seven Doomben Cup winners came off a top three finish
• Along with #1 It’s Somewhat the other last start winners in the race are: #5 Star Exhibit (Listed Anniversary Vase, 1440m, Caulfield, 29/04/2017), #12 Articus (Hcp, 1800m, Flemington, 06/05/2017) and #16 Amelie’s Star (Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes, 1600m, Morphettville, 06/05/2017)
• #16 Amelie’s Star chases the Queen Of The South Stakes – Doomben Cup double achieved by Cinque Cento (2007)
• The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #5 Star Exhibit (50%) followed by #16 Amelie’s Star (45%) and #12 Articus (42%)
• The best Place Rate of the field belongs to #5 Star Exhibit (78%) followed by #16 Amelie’s Star (73%)
• The horses with most wins over the Doomben Cup distance (2000m) are: #12 Articus (6-4-1-0), #2 Preferment (8-3-1-0), #8 Benzini (12-3-4-1), #10 Astronomos (7-3-1-0), #1 It’s Somewhat (7-2-0-3), #4 Vanbrugh (4-2-0-0) and #11 Emphasis (2-2-0-0)
• The horses with previous winning form at the track (Doomben) are: #13 Rudy (14-5-2-3), #7 Cylinder Beach (9-3-2-2), #11 Emphasis (9-3-2-0), #9 Maurus (2-1-0-0) and #14 Single Gaze (3-1-0-0)
• The Doomben track is currently a Slow (7) and with heavy rainfall predicted in Brisbane over the next 24 hours it could be downgraded into the Heavy ratings by Saturday
• The horses with winning form on Heavy tracks in the mix are: #10 Astronomos (7-4-1-0), #13 Rudy (8-4-1-1), #9 Maurus (3-2-0-1), #1 It’s Somewhat (2-1-0-0), #3 Sense Of Occasion (2-1-0-1), #12 Articus (3-1-1-0), #6 McCreery (6-1-1-0), #16 Amelie’s Star (2-1-0-0) and #18e Auvray (3-1-0-0)

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