Dark Dream did the double in 2018. Who takes out the 2024 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday?
2024 ROUGH HABIT PLATE - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Rough Habit Plate is Group 3 race for three-year-olds conducted by the Brisbane Racing Club.
The Rough Habit Plate was introduced in 1993 as a major lead-up race to the Queensland Derby and is named after the champion New Zealand galloper who won 11 Group One races including the Queensland Derby and two Stradbroke Handicaps in Brisbane.
The inaugural Rough Habit Plate was run as a handicap. It has been run set weight conditions since 1994.
The distance of the Rough Habit Plate has been 2000m since 2012 with the exception of 2013 when it was run over 2100m at Eagle Farm and in 2020 at 2200m. The distance has varied over the years from 2020m (1993-2001), 2200m (2002-2003/2020), and 2020m (2004-2011).
The 2022 race had to be run at Eagle Farm due to a huge rain incident meaning the race wasn't at Doomben.
The Rough Habit Plate became a Listed race in 1996 and has been Group 3 since 2006.
The Rough Habit Plate-Queensland Derby double has been won seven times by Tenor (1994), Dodge (1998), De Gaulle Lane (2001), Empires Choice (2007), Brambles (2012), Hawkspur (2013) and Dark Dream (2018).
The only filly to win the Rough Habit Plate has been Fillydelphia in 2011.
Damien Oliver rode the winner of the Rough Habit Plate five times between 1997 and 2008. Blake Shinn has ridden two recent winners of the Rough Habit Plate for trainer Chris Waller (Sadler's Lake/Mackintosh).
Waller also trained the 2013 winner Hawkspur (Jim Cassidy) and Special Swey for Tyler Schiller in 2023.
The 2020 Rough Habit Plate, at 2200m, was effectively run as the Queensland Derby on Stradbroke day with the Derby abandoned due to coronavirus.
The 2024 Rough Habit Plate was run for $250,000.
Notable winners of the Rough Habit Plate include Tenor, Juggler, Marble Halls, Dodge, De Gaulle Lane, Bobs Boy, Belmonte, Empires Choice, Rockdale, The Hombre, Brambles, Amexed, Hawkspur, Sadler's Lake, Dark Dream and Dark Destroyer.
The 2023 Rough Habit Plate was won by Special Swey from The Vowels and Stroke Of Luck.
