The great Winter Carnival Doomben sprinter Chief De Beers, pictured here with Mick Dittman, was undoubtedly one of Queensland's greatest post war sprinters, even though he was in reality only a Doomben specialist as all his 20 career wins were at that track. Included in his 20 wins were two Doomben 10,000s. He retired from the racetrack to become a police horse and on Wednesday he retired from that role as well. Take it easy Pal. (Photo Dan Costello)

This year’s Doomben Cup has done well to attract the top performed WFA age horse of 2012 from around Australia – Manighar – as well as the three times Group 1 winning top Kiwi mare, Shez Sinsational. That’s a good effort for a Brisbane Winter Carnival as generally many of the top horses are spelling for the Melbourne Spring.

And actually the Doomben Cup needed a bit of a pick-me-up in 2012, given that the first three across the line in the 2011 version of the race – Scenic Shot, My Kingdom of Fife and Glass Harmonium have cumulatively only won three races between them in the 12 months since.

In another interesting statistic I came across when checking results of previous years, in 2009 Triple Honour started the 4/1 favourite that year’s Doomben Cup when he ran fourth to Scenic Shot, Racing To Win and Sir Slick, yet he’s only won one race in the three years subsequently to that fourth placing. He goes around - yet again - tomorrow.

Racing Queensland Senior Handicapper Lester Grimmett advises there are no scaled weights through for Doomben tomorrow, so I hope he didn’t take his full pay this week as it would seem he had an easy week.

Brad Tamer from Tattsbet advises the following five-figure jackpots are happening tomorrow:

Now in the exclusives department, there are stacks of them and you’ll read them first here. Firstly Tony Gollan starts moving his stable from Toowoomba to Brisbane tomorrow. Initially there’s eight horses coming – and the rest will follow later. “Who cares” I hear you roar in numbers to big to ignore. Well okay if you didn’t like that one what about this one? There’s been a bust-up in the relationship between one 50 kilo bundle of joy and another. Both are apprentices and both are licensed to ride horses in the city. The female apprentice is now believed to have started up a relationship with another male apprentice. It is not official but Justracing may offer a million bucks for a “tell-all” version of events to the relevant apprentice who has been dumped. I used to enjoy Heartbalm in the Melbourne Truth newspaper many years ago, so maybe Justracing could start up a new version of Heartbalm. Interestingly someone even called a horse after the column but spelt it Hartbalm and he won the 1978 Oakleigh Plate – with me on him because of the Heartbalm newspaper thingo.

Brisbane Racing Club Track Manager Bill Shuck advises late today that “the Doomben track is a dead 4”, noting “if the weather holds we’ll go up a good 3 tomorrow”. Bill advised that “15mm of irrigation has gone on the track in the last seven days and the rail is out two metres from the 1300 to the 375, but it’s in the true in the home straight”.

The apprentice jockey weights for Doomben tomorrow should be:

* I’ve no idea what Jake weighs, but it’s irrelevant, as even if he’s as big as a sumo wrestler he’ll still be able to claim his 1.5 kgs on Falino as he has 59.5 kgs.

Today on www.brisbaneracing.com.au I preview Flemington Race 7, on www.sydneyracing.com.au I preview Scone Race 8, whilst on www.melbourneracing.com.au Matt Nicholls looks at Flemington.

Neil Davis from leading New Zealand racing website www.formpro.co.nz has sent his thoughts through on Kiwi horses racing in Brisbane tomorrow and they read:

From last week the best run from the Kiwi entrants was Poste Restante which followed the rail round all the way. She would need to improve a few lengths to win the Oaks though. Ex Kiwi Solzhenitsyn jumped well for James McDonald and for a change was given his chance up on the pace and bolted in. Choice Bro had all favours and didn't fire. But we have much more realistic chances of winning tomorrow on a decent surface.

Race 5

-1- Dowager Queen has had plenty of racing which has taken the edge off her and couldn't have her ahead of the other Kiwis.

-4- Miss Artistic will have improved with that fourth on a track that she didn't relish a whole lot. Won the NZ Oaks getting all favours and would need a similar run here to win, so is an each way chance and the best of the four Kiwis in this.

-9- Quintessential will snag back from a wide draw and need luck. Place chance with a good pace up front.

-11- Vittoria is a bit one paced and would need a strong pace to out-grind these into a place.

Race 7

-5- Booming ran a solid fourth last start in good time. 2000 metres is his ideal distance and should get a good run. Can't beat Shez Sinsational but could sneak into the trifecta.

-10- Shez Sinsational was a 3YO filly when I was keen about here last season but she found Scarlett Lady too good then. She since has not surprisingly developed into a top quality mare. Fell in last start after covering plenty of ground on a track she only just handled. On top of the ground she is lengths better and I just can't see any of these, including Manighar, beating her.

Race 8

-4- Durham Town should get the Good track he needs to show his best but from that draw I can't see him getting past three or four of these.

Galilee has sent through his thoughts on the Adelaide meeting tomorrow and they read:

Black Caviar –you champion – what a great day for South Australian racing; we owe you a lot. May you conquer the world.

My selection last week Power Princess to my mind was extremely disappointing but there were some that said she had the slow lane. You would think by race 8 if that was so those that should know would know? The jury is out for me with her.

This week we are at Morphettville and at this time we have a Good 3 track rating.

In race 3 I believe that if Ballypatrick reproduces his last start effort in this race he will be the benchmark. This grey 5YO gelding by Dash for Cash was really motoring home last start to be narrowly beaten on the line over the same distance in a similar field. That day he was $11 and he will probably be short of that this week.

His main danger would appear to be Sea Coral whom he finished in front of last start and meets better at the weights in this. Lauren Stojakovic stays on top and knows this horse well.  Like all horses than run on from back in the field, a fast clip would suit and that may be a worry in this race, perhaps we will get some speed from Tabulated and Drafted. Tabulated, I believe trialled well recently in fast time, so if there is a move in the market for her be wary.

You can count on the big grey, Ballypatrick, to be getting home hard in this field along with last start winner Our Freedman. The Tony McEvoy trained Sea Coral also has to be in the mix as one of the main dangers.

Selection: Race 3 – 2 Ballypatrick

Good luck.

Albion Park aren’t sending through a preview of Albion park tomorrow night as that might stimulate TAB turnover – and we wouldn’t want that – would we?