Rough Habit Plate

On Saturday Doomben Racecourse will host Racefest, the official opening of the 2010 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.

One of the great group race features scheduled for the meeting is the $125,000 Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2020m), where a field of 16 three-year-olds, plus one emergency, will fight it out for the lucrative $80,000 first prize.

An early favourite for the 2010 Rough Habit Plate, Sanderson, has suffered a blow after drawing wide with barrier 12 for Saturday.

The Kelly Doughty-trained gelding is coming off an impressive last start victory in the Group 3 Gunsynd Doomben Classic (1600m) and will have their regular jockey Jason Holder aboard.

Brave The Way, who ran a gallant third to Sanderson in the Gunsynd, has also drawn poorly for the Rough Habit due to jump from barrier 14.

Also backing up from the Gunsynd is sixth placegetter Definite Choice, having their second Brisbane run on Saturday after travelling up from Warwick Farm. The three-year-old colt has had just one career win to date but has fared the worst in the barrier draw with gate 16.

Victorian based trainer Peter Moody has paid up for two of his horses in the Rough Habit, last start winners Tee Emar (barrier seven) and Arvan (barrier three).

Another horse sure to be popular with the punters is the Tim Martin-trained Blueys Way. The Galileo gelding has had just four career starts but has been super impressive in all winning three and running second in the other.

Having drawn well with barrier six, Blueys Way will be ridden by champion hoop Tye Angland.

Half brother to Galileo, Dark Knight is a classy Galileo gelding on the up-and-up drawn in barrier nine for Saturday.

Meanwhile Santo De Lago has secured the prized barrier one for Saturday, the Les Kelly-trained Encosta De Lago gelding looking to improve on their last start ninth in the Gunsynd.

The headline event at Doomben on Saturday will be the $400,000 Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m) where the Tony Noonan-trained Ortensia is the hot pre-race favourite at $3.30 with IASbet.

The third group event programmed on the day is the $100,000 Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap (2020m), where a capacity field of runners are set to impress.

The 2010 Rough Habit Plate is programmed as race six due to jump at 3:05pm.

Visit Doomben to find out more on these excellent races and don’t forget to check out all the horse racing odds at our preferred online bookmaker IASbet.

2010 Rough Habit Plate Final Field & Barriers: