A bumper day’s racing is scheduled for Eagle Farm Racecourse on Saturday for Stradbroke Handicap Day including the lucrative 2023 The Q22 where Without A Fight is narrow favourite in a tight betting market.

Dual Doomben Cup champ Huetor (pictured in Sydney) is a key danger in Saturday’s $1.2 million The Q22. Photo: Steve Hart.

This year’s Group 2 $1.2 million The Q22 (2200m) is set to run as Race 6 with a 14-horse field gathered for the popular weight-for-age staying showdown.

Sitting top of the latest The Q22 odds online at $3.10 through Ladbrokes.com.au is the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Without A Fight racing second-up from barrier 11 with Mark Zahra in the saddle.

The Irish-bred Teofilo import made his debut down under when running a disappointing 13^th in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup over the two miles last November.

In his first run since his Cup flop the six-year-old enjoyed a big win fresh here at Eagle Farm on May 27 winning the Group 3 Lord Mayors Cup (1800m) by nearly two lengths.

He is fitter for the run and with winning form overseas up to 2787m he should enjoy the step-up in distance in The Q22.

There are a host of in-form dangers also at single-figures in The Q22 betting markets however including the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained dual Doomben Cup champ Huetor ($5).

The gun son of Archipenko has been in top form this prep including a close Group 2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes second to Zaaki at the Sunshine Coast two back before his brave title defence in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on May 20.

He has been kept fresh since and now lines-up from barrier 10 with Ryan Maloney continuing associations looking to atone for his eighth in last year’s The Q22 results with excuses.

The reigning The Q22 champion is the Annabel Neasham-trained Numerian who also returns and is at $5.50 to go back-to-back in the event.

The now seven-year-old enjoyed a strong autumn that included a second to Cascadian at Flemington in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) and credible sixth to international raider Dubai Honour in Randwick’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

He was good again fresh narrowly beaten in the Doomben Cup and has Huetor in his sights again on Saturday drawn ideally in gate two with Jason Collett in the saddle.

Rounding out the hopes under $10 for the win is Edward Cummings’ early The Q22 market mover Duais ($7.50) in gate three with Sam Clipperton aboard.

It has been a while between drinks for the classy Shamus Award mare whose last turf triumph was back in March of 2022 when she completed the Group 1 Australian Cup – Tancred Stakes double.

Duais however was good first-up in the Doomben Cup at double-figures crossing only 1.53 lengths back fourth in a promising display with improvement to come.

Other notable hopes at longer odds include the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Serpentine ($12), Kris Lees’ perennial runner-up Luncies ($17) who has run second at his latest four starts, and the John O’Shea-trained Lion’s Roar ($21) chasing his first win since the 2021 Randwick Guineas over two years ago.

Click here for the latest The Q22 2023 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2023 The Q22 Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.