Top three-year-olds Sizzling and Epaulette will have to contend with wide draws in the $1.3 million Stradbroke Handicap.
Pre-draw favourite Sizzling has stall 18 while the Peter Snowden-trained Epaulette has gate 22 in Saturday’s Group One sprint at Eagle Farm.
If the emergencies aren’t needed, Sizzling will start from barrier 14 in the 18-horse field and Doomben 10,000 winner Epaulette will jump from 17.
The Darley camp took a philosophical view of the draw which saw Epaulette ease in betting to $7.
“With these big fields there’s usually more pace than you expect,” Darley spokesman Paul Reid said.
Sizzling has kept favouritism at $4 while BTC Cup winner Your Song has been a firmer after drawing 11.
Topweight Buffering, runner-up in last year’s Stradbroke, has drawn gate six with Your Song’s stablemate Fontelina drawn to his inside in barrier four.