Doomben 10,000 Scratchings Update: #1 Eduardo (11) has been withdrawn due to a wide draw and poor speed map for the veteran who is likely to be saved for the Kingsford Smith Cup.

Clayton Douglas’s The Everest winning three-year-old Giga Kick is odds-on favourite heading to Queensland for the 2023 Doomben 10,000 this weekend.

2023 All Aged Stakes winner Giga Kick is favourite to win the Doomben 10,000 in Brisbane this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.

A quality field of the season’s top sprinters is gathered for this year’s Group 1 $1.5 million Ladbrokes Doomben 10,000 (1200m) which kicks off elite level racing for the 2023 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.

Sitting the top of the latest Doomben 10,000 betting markets at race sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au at an odds-on quote of $1.85 is Scissor Kick gelding Giga Kick.

Craig Williams has the ride from an ideal barrier four draw on the star youngster who atoned for his second in Sydney’s TJ Smith Stakes two back in the wet with a big win in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) last start on April 15.

There he defeated the marvel that is Zaaki by a comprehensive margin with the form franked last weekend when Zaaki won the Group 2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes yet again.

Now it is Giga Kick’s turn to keep that form going heading to Doomben.

The danger occupying the second line of betting at Doomben 10,000 odds of $6.50 is fellow last start winning three-year-old Aft Cabin.

The James Cummings-trained Astern colt took his record up to four wins from eight starts with a three-quarter length victory at Randwick on April 8 in the Group 2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m).

He has been kept fresh since and stays at his pet distance (4:2-2-0) against the older horses now.

Rounding out the single-figure fancies further down the markets at $9.50 is the reigning Peter & Paul Snowden-trained winner Mazu.

Mazu is looking to become the first back-to-back Doomben 10,000 champion since Apache Chase (2008-09) and hasn’t won a race since his victory here last winter.

The now four-year-old son of Maurice has been racing very competitively without winning over the past 12 months including his third to Giga Kick in the $15 million The Everest last October.

He comes off a disappointing sixth in the All Aged Stakes, but should improve back to six furlongs on Saturday.

We’ve got two previous Doomben 10,000 winners in this year’s field with defending champ Mazu joined in the starting line-up by the 2021 winner Eduardo ($16).

The Joe Pride-trained veteran is a rising 10-year-old out to atone for his last start 11^th back on March 11^th to his stablemate Mariamia in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m).

Pride also saddles-up his The Galaxy winning mare Mariamia as a $20 shot in the Doomben 10,000 field with the six-year-old last seen running fifth in the TJ Smith Stakes behind I Wish I Win.

Other notable hopes in the mix include Bjorn Baker’s inaugural $4 million The Quokka winner Overpass ($14) back in the eastern states and the rails-drawn Vilana ($10) last seen winning the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes for Godolphin.

The 2023 Ladbrokes Doomben 10,000 is set to run as Doomben Race 8 at 4:02pm (AEST) with full markets thanks to Ladbrokes.com.au available by clicking here.

2023 Doomben 10,000 Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.