Premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller will chase a fifth win and third straight victory in the Dane Ripper Stakes 2020 having nominated four mares for the Group 2 at Eagle Farm this weekend.

Magic Millions Sprint winner Madam Rouge is out to hand trainer Chris Waller with another win in the 2020 Dane Ripper Stakes in Brisbane on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

Changes to help lessen the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Queensland racing have seen a reduced and reshuffled Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival in 2020 that continues on Saturday.

Last weekend the carnival’s only two Group 1 features took place with the Stradbroke Handicap and JJ Atkins.

Traditionally held on Stradbroke Handicap Day as a set weights plus penalties event for the mares, the Dane Ripper Stakes runs a week later this season as a weight-for-age event offering $175,000 in prize money.

The Dane Ripper Stakes also traditionally serves as a lead-up into the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara, a double Waller’s two-time Dane Ripper winner Invincibella (2018, 2019) claimed last year.

With no Tattersall’s Tiara on the agenda this season, the Dane Ripper Stakes is the likely Grand Final for many of the mares and there were 23 nominated for the showdown on Monday.

Four come from the Waller stable as he looks to continue his success in the event following his victories with the aforementioned Invincibella (2018, 2019) and fellow two-time champion Red Tracer (2012, 2013).

Waller’s 2020 nominees are Fiesta, Romani Girl, Sure Knee and pre-field favourite Madam Rouge leading the Dane Ripper Stakes all-in odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Currently at $5.50 ahead of Wednesday’s final acceptances, Zoustar four-year-old Madam Rouge is after her first win since claiming the $1 million Magic Millions Sprint (1200m) at the Gold Coast back in January.

She was unplaced three times in top class after returning, including running 4.2 lengths back 11^th in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) on May 2.

Showing nice improvement off that, Madam Rouge raced at Eagle Farm last weekend and ran out of her skin to finish just a neck away second at huge odds behind Tyzone in the Group Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).

Having carried only 51kg in Queensland’s premier race, the mare will go up notably in weight should she be accepted for the quick back-up into the Dane Ripper against her own kind this Saturday.

The Tony Gollan-trained Spirit Of Boom mare Outback Barbie (6^th) and Group 1 placed Winter Bride (8^th) are also out of the Stradbroke Handicap last weekend chasing a consolation prize in the Dane Ripper Stakes.

Outback Barbie is rated a $10 chance to break her Eagle Farm hoodoo in the Dane Ripper, the talented four-year-old having had six runs at the track without a top three finish but was only 1.5 lengths away in the Stradbroke won by Tyzone in a record time of 1:20.43.

A stablemate to the Stradbroke winner Tyzone, the Toby & Trent Edmonds-trained Not A Single Doubt five-year-old Winter Bride is also yet to finish in the money from four runs at Eagle Farm.

The David Vandyke-trained Baccarat Baby meanwhile was the first emergency for the Group 1 last Saturday but failed to make the starting line-up.

The consistent four-year-old is well-supported early in Dane Ripper Stakes betting as the $8 third elect in the all-in markets having last been seen running a neck back third in the Listed Wayne Wilson over the mile at the Sunshine Coast in mid-May.

The other current single-figure fancies include Bjorn Baker’s last start Group 3 Dark Jewel Classic winner at Rosehill Irithea ($7) and the Kris Lees-trained Delectation Girl ($8.50) out to improve on a luckless 10^th in the same lead-up.

Click here for the full all-in Dane Ripper Stakes 2020 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 Dane Ripper Stakes Nominations