It might not be Gibbo’s favourite deck, but Eagle Farm still delivered a result worth following.
The Queensland analyst landed one of his main plays of the day at $8, continuing a strong recent run, and while the track itself played fairly, it was the last race on the card that really caught his eye.
With better horses starting to return ahead of the winter carnival, the meeting had a slightly sharper edge than what we have seen in recent weeks. And it showed late.
Gibbo is zoning in on one race only, where four runners cleared out from the rest and went over the line together in a tight finish.
The first four over the line:
- The Wheelbarrow (1st)
- You’re Not The King (2nd)
- Spanish Treasure (3rd)
- Brave Monarch (4th)
There was a significant gap back to the remainder of the field.
“All four look like they’ll head down that typical three-year-old path,” Gibbo noted, referencing the Daybreak Lover (1400m) and potentially the Queensland Guineas as logical targets.
While he has some reservations about how far most of them will get, there is still clear upside across the group.
“I’m not convinced many of them get beyond a mile,” he said. “But The Wheelbarrow is the one who might stretch out to 2000 metres, and that makes this win even more impressive.”
From a blackbook perspective, the runners-up may be the ones to keep especially close tabs on.
“Spanish Treasure is expected to meet rivals better at the weights as they progress, while Brave Monarch shapes as a horse with significant improvement to come, with this run likely just the start of his preparation.”
“Both profiles suggest they can turn the tables deeper into the prep.”
The takeaway is simple. This is a form race worth following.
All four runners have the ability to measure up over the coming month as the carnival builds, and with natural progression, it would not surprise to see multiple winners emerge from the same finish.
