I Wish I Win and Private Eye will carry their combined career earnings of AU$40 million into battle again this Friday night in Brisbane, Australia, having finished a neck apart in the minor placings of last year's The Everest.
By Michael Wrona, International Racing Expert
The pair will lock horns in the "Doomben 10,000," the first Grade 1 race of Brisbane's "Winter Carnival." The outcome could well hinge on tactics employed by top jockeys James McDonald and Blake Shinn, particularly in relation to I Wish I Win's tricky inside post position. Among several supporting stakes races, huge interest surrounds the second career start of Angel Capital (Race 6), a 2-year-old being billed as one of the nation's most exciting prospects. The first of nine races at Doomben this Friday is set for 9:48 p.m. Eastern / 6:48 Pacific with live broadcast on skyracingworld.com and FanDuel TV.
Wishing to win is fine, but the opportunity needs to materialize for a wish to come true. The rail draw proved less than a blessing for I Wish I Win in last October's The Everest, when he was blocked for the first half of the home stretch. Charging late, he came up a neck short in the world's richest turf race. In contrast, Private Eye suffered an extremely wide trip before finishing a close 3rd.
I Wish I Win's only subsequent start was a fast-closing 3rd in the G1 TJ Smith Stakes six weeks ago, during the Championships at Randwick. Private Eye has been much busier, winless in five starts since The Everest when not ideally spotted or ridden on a couple of occasions.
Despite I Wish I Win excelling when able to wind up in "clear air," jockey James McDonald has downplayed the potential negative consequences of Gate 1 around tight-turning Doomben. Confident he's on the best horse, McDonald stated "if we get a little bit of a sniff, any luck at all at the top of the (stretch), I'm sure he will be exploding."
Private Eye's trainer, Joe Pride, fancies a scenario that could play out in his horse's favor. "Doomben is a great track for us to take on I Wish I Win," Pride enthused. "Private Eye is better ridden handy (to the lead) and I Wish I Win can be dictated to."
I Wish I Win and Private Eye were 4-1 and 6-1 respectively when they clashed in The Everest. For Friday night's Doomben 10,000 (Race 8), I Wish I Win is a dominant even-money favorite with Private Eye at 6-1. A trio of quality mares commands plenty of respect after excellent performances around I Wish I Win in the TJ Smith Stakes. Espiona (5-1) was a desperately unlucky 5th, while Chain of Lightning (9-1) and Bella Nipotina (6-1) filled the exacta.
The Doomben 10,000 is one of several prestigious sprints during the Brisbane Winter Carnival, whose richest race is the $3 million Stradbroke Handicap at seven furlongs on June 14. The aforementioned mares will also have the alluring option of the Tatts Tiara two weeks later. The Tiara, at seven furlongs for fillies and mares, is the final Grade 1 race of the Australian season.
The Doomben card will be broadcast live on FanDuel TV this Friday night (First Post: 9:48 p.m. ET / 6:48 p.m. PT) alongside cards from Scone, Kembla Grange and Belmont. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, FanDuel and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances, and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.
About Michael Wrona
A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael's vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.
