Matt Dale will weigh up Stradbroke Handicap tilt with Front Page after Moreton Cup win

The Australian

a day ago

It would be uncharted territory but trainer Matt Dale indicated 'the discussion will be had' about giving evergreen sprint warrior Front Page a crack at next Saturday's Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap.
Rising nine-year-old Front Page has never won over 1400m – and indeed only raced over that trip once before – but on Saturday at Eagle Farm won the Group 2 Moreton Cup over 1200m which gives him a golden ticket into the Stradbroke (1400m).
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Connections would need to pay a hefty late-entry fee and they and Goulburn trainer Dale must decide whether it is worthwhile given Front Page is primarily known for his deeds over nippier sprint trips.
But after scoring the Moreton Cup at Eagle Farm, Dale certainly wasn't ruling out a Stradbroke tilt.
'The (Stradbroke) discussion will be had,' Dale said.
'We will certainly give some thought to it.
'A decision will be made on Tuesday, he will either be racing in the Stradbroke or going out for a month in the paddock here in Queensland.
'It's a good problem to have.
'He is a tough old horse who is rock solid fit and he ran right through the line today.
'We will enjoy this win and then dissect everything.'
Adding to the complexity of Dale's decision is that it looks, at least on paper, to be shaping up to be one of the weakest Stradbrokes in recent times.
Progressive Lindsay Park sprinter War Machine tops the Stradbroke betting market but there are few in the likely Stradbroke field who are standing out on stalks seven days out from the great race.
Even if he doesn't contest the Stradbroke, Front Page won more fans on Saturday with his first win since scoring the $2m The Kosciuszko in 2023, his second triumph in that rich race after also scoring it the previous year.
Front Page ($4.40) settled down to fight the Moreton Cup out with Tony Gollan's galloper Hidden Wealth and was stronger in the final stages.
'He's just an absolute beauty,' Dale declared.
'We came up here today rapt with how the horse was.
'The track has dried out all week but the track is still a bit choppy, and at the top of the straight I thought we were in a little bit of trouble.
'But he was prepared to get down and dirty and tough it out.
'I didn't think he looked as comfortable as he does on a good surface, but Timmy (jockey Tim Clark) knows him well and he did a great job sitting off Hidden Wealth.'
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Gollan faces nervous Stradbroke wait with Transatlantic
- Daniel Pace
Brisbane's premier trainer Tony Gollan has already tasted Group 1 glory this winter carnival with local star Antino, now he could get an unexpected chance to add to his haul.
Gollan is sweating on a ratings bump for Transatlantic and the attrition rate in the upcoming Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) to qualify for Queensland's premier race at Eagle Farm next Saturday.
The potential bonus to Gollan's epic Doomben Cup (2000m) victory with Antino two weeks ago came after the four-year-old gelding Transatlantic won a nailbiter in the Spear Chief Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Transatlantic had a 99 rating and was No.35 in the Stradbroke ballot order heading into the Spear Chief (1500m).
'He'll definitely be running (in the Stradbroke) if he gets in it,' Gollan said about the seven-day backup.
'It's now up to the handicapper to determine what they want to do with his rating.
'I've always had the Stradbroke in the back of my mind, this was a low percentage play to try to get him into the race. But I wanted to see him back winning.
'We'll see how it plays out with the attrition rate, but if everything marries up we'll be back here next week (for the Stradbroke).
'I've always thought he was a Stradbroke horse for some time.'
Transatlantic improved his chances of making the Stradbroke field by winning the Spear Chief Handicap at Eagle Farm. Picture: Trackside Photography
Jockey Ryan Maloney put Transatlantic into the ideal spot out wide to surge home just ahead of Desert Lightning ($10), with Fukubana ($5) in third on a Soft 5 track.
'The other day, I thought he was wanting to get out to this sort of trip, and he travelled like the winner a long way from home,' Gollan said.
'Ryan put him into a good position, and we made a subtle gear change with the winkers going on, which had him focused a touch better.
'He's a really nice horse, you saw how well he paraded today. He looks fantastic and he's still on the way up.
'That will have brought him on nicely. If we don't get into the Stradbroke then you might see him in the Wayne Wilson Mile instead.'
In the earlier Queensland Day Stakes, $23 roughie Cosmic Fire won the Listed 1200m race ahead of Gerringong ($4) and topweight Coleman ($9) for trainer Billy Healey.
'He's just so honest and he continues to put up a fight every time we send him around,' Healey said
'He's had not much luck a few times but he's a horse who really put me on the map the last 12 months so I owe a lot to him.'