Stradbroke Handicap Tips - Hayes stable to end Stradbroke hoodoo as Gollan galloper bids to sneak into the field

The trio saddle up the race favourite, War Machine, in the $3 million feature, as well as Rise At Dawn, who is on the third line of betting. 

War Machine comes in with back-to-back wins, including a Group 3 triumph at Doomben. Rise At Dawn drops significantly in weight after a solid 5th in the Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m). 

That race was pushed back to last Saturday due to a washout the week prior and four runners are on the short back-up, including the 3rd and 4th placegetters, Golden Mile and Kimochi. 

Golden Mile, trained by James Cummings, adds another layer to the narrative. Once retired to stud, the gelding has made a remarkable return. With 53.5kg and a soft draw, Cummings is chasing a fairytale win in his final months with Godolphin.

The old warhorse, Rothfire, has overcome a minor foot injury and been cleared to run, with champion jockey James McDonald taking the ride at 55.5kg. 

The final field features a mix of emerging stars and seasoned Group 1 campaigners. Queensland local hopes rest with lightly raced contenders like The Inflictor and Spicy Martini, while high-profile entrants such as Private Eye and Front Page add depth despite wide barriers. 

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott's The Instructor claimed the final spot in the field, giving young jockey Jett Stanley a dream opportunity. Tony Gollan’s Transatlantic is out to sneak into the field as the second emergency. 

This should be strongly run with Rise At Dawn, Spicy Martini, The Instructor and Front Page among some possible frontrunners. Front Page draws barrier 19 and is likely to attempt to cross. Rise At Dawn wont have to work too hard from barrier 3. Rothfire and War Machine are likely to settle handy, while Golden Mile is also a chance to be prominent. 

No knock on War Machine, who looks the real deal. But the one that presents most appeal is the other of the Hayes runners, Rise At Dawn. The four-year-old comes into this second up off a nine-week break and stuck on very well at Group 1 level last weekend with his 5th placing behind Joliestar. The son of Almazor drops 6.5kg in weight from that effort and is three from four at the distance. Interestingly, his career peak on benchmark figures came at an identical stage last year when second up off a similar break when going 13.2 lengths faster than standard benchmark at Flemington. Barrier 3 is a massive tick and he looks primed for a big run. 

Sticking with the Kingsford Smith Cup form and Kimochi sneaks under the radar a bit. She was just a tad one paced when 4th but is another that gets weight relief. This has been her target and she should benefit from the hitout last weekend. Worth noting that she defeated some big names at this stage of her spring campaign when taking out the Group 1 Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfileld. Also hoping that Transatlantic sneaks into the field. The second emergency was wide the trip when 5th behind War Machine in the BRC Sprint two starts ago then was dominant in the Spear Chief Quality (1500m) last weekend when flying across from the wide gate. The Tony Gollan gelding went 9.7 lengths faster than standard benchmark i that ace, which is the best last start figure of any runner, while he drops to the 51kg.