Rank outsider Dream Hour, who qualified for the Stradbroke Handicap by winning The Gateway during the summer, will take his place in the field after talks over a deal for his slot fell through.
Negotiations with the connections of likely first emergency Freedom Rally were on and off all of last week before officially falling through on Sunday, leaving Australian Bloodstock to opt to run the Kris Lees-trained Dream Hour instead.
Australian Bloodstock won the first ever Stradbroke slot by winning The Gateway at Eagle Farm in December with Dream Hour, which is restricted to four-year-olds exclusively.
In a new rule change, connections of the winning horse are allowed to negotiate a deal with owners of any horse inside the top 40 in the Stradbroke ballot order to bring it into the Stradbroke.
Ironically, Dream Hour comfortably beat Freedom Rally in the race that day.
Freedom Rally is likely to be the Stradbroke Handicap first emergency. Picture: Grant Peters — Trackside Photography.
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After missing out on securing ballot-free entry in the BRC Sprint last month by the barest of margins, Freedom Rally backed it up to run fourth in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup to get within touching distance of a Stradbroke start, with bookmakers rating him a $13 chance with 51kg.
His connections ultimately decided against the deal, opting to try their luck as first emergency and instead go to the Listed Wayne Wilson (1600m) on Sunday if they cannot gain a Stradbroke start.
There were also brief discussions with the connections of $18 chance and likely second emergency Yellow Brick.
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It means Australian Bloodstock will have two runners in the race, with consistent handicapper Nugget set to line up with Jason Collett in the saddle.
Kyle Wilson-Taylor will ride Dream Hour in the same colours.
While he could have had as many as three runners in the race he has always craved, it leaves trainer Tony Gollan with just one likely starter in Antino.