Kementari top weight for 2022 Stradbroke Handicap

The weights have been released for the 2022 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m), with Kementari set to wear the number one saddlecloth on June 11.

Over 120 horses have been nominated for the AU$1.5 million event, including 14 Group 1 winners.

On Monday afternoon, Racing Queensland released the weights and order of entry for the famous 1400m sprint, with just over two-and-a-half weeks until the field will face the starter at Eagle Farm.

Exempt from ballot are the Doomben 10,000 winner Mazu, The Goodwood winner Lombardo and The Gateway winner Apache Chase, while the winner of this weekend’s BRC Sprint, Fred Best Classic and Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup will also earn exemption.

Topping the weights for the 2022 edition is Godolphin‘s Kementari, who will have to carry 58kg in the Group 1 feature, while Streets Of Avalon (57.5kg), Private Eye (57kg), Sierra Sue (57kg), Count De Rupee (56.5kg) and Laws Of Indices (56.5kg) will also have a task ahead of them.

In the past 40 runnings of the time-honoured race, only two horses – Campaign King (1988) and Rough Habit (1992) – have carried more than 56kg to victory.

A trio of horses will carry 56kg, with Mazu, Ellsberg, and 2021 Stradbroke runner-up Vega One all allocated the same weight that Show A Heart carried to victory in 2002.

High-quality mares September Run and Entriviere have both been assigned 55.5kg, while talented geldings Apache Chase, Eleven Eleven and Lombardo have also been given 55.5kg by the handicapper.

Both Gem Song and Alligator Blood will have to lug 55kg, and seven horses have been allocated 54.5kg – the same weight carried to victory last year by Tofane.

Those seven runners include Doomben 10,000 runner-up Paulele, 2020 J.J. Atkins winner Rothfire and his stablemate Emerald Kingdom, as well as Goodwood Handicap place-getter The Astrologist.

New Zealand mare Entriviere remains the +600 favourite with online bookmakers following an eye-catching third to Mazu in the Doomben 10,000.

Ayrton, although not nominated, is the second elect at +800, while Paulele (+1000), Flying Crazy, Laws Of Indices and Startantes (all +1200) are also fancied by the market at this stage.