Hendo’s Hopefuls: Saturday’s Best Roughies 

Looking for this Saturday’s best racing roughies? Read on for our expert long-shot contenders to take the favourites on with!

The weekend racing action’s here and, as always, we’re on the lookout for those juicy value runners that could get up in the features and pay handsomely.

Last weekend we unearthed four Top 4 runners at big odds including Bosustow who won the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas by a runaway six lengths, as well as our blowout place chance Sir Sway who ran out of his skin for second in the Group 1 The Goodwood as a 60/1 outsider by jump time!

Can we produce the same magic this weekend in the mud at Doomben?

The Brisbane Winter Carnival steps into Group 1 mode with the Ladbrokes Doomben 10,0000, and we’ve got both an underrated runner to take Each Way as well as a double-figure fancy that looks a huge hope to capitalise on the wet track and get into the minors.

We also take a look at Saturday’s Scone feature to chase a sizeable return at the Hunter Valley.

See below for who value whisperer Lucy Henderson reckons are the forgotten horses this Saturday!

Doomben Race 5 (2:08PM AEST) – Group 2 $300,000 Spirit Of Boom Classic (1200M)

Each Way: No. 3 COOL ARCHIE ($10 at time of publish)

Love the odds on the flying COOL ARCHIE (4) who is $10 at time of publish and overs for mine in this year’s Spirit Of Boom Classic.

The up-and-coming Chris & Corey Munce trained colt has found his groove now breaking his maiden status two starts ago here at Doomben over the 1200m on a Heavy (8) before going back-to-back when up in grade to take out the Listed Dalrello Stakes back in distance to 1000m on a Good (4).

Versatile and in ace form, he now chases a hat-trick and is proven at the course and distance.

Handles the wet so can swim through the predicted Slow – Heavy track like he did fresh in mid-April.

Has been classy but underrated all the way having been Group 3 placed here back in mid-December at 40/1 before a credible $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic eighth at the same price only three lengths off the winner.

That form has been stacking up lately and expect it to continue here.

He will handle the going, is drawn ideally in gate four for regular rider Martin Harley and is the Each Way value in this.

Doomben Race 8 (4:02PM AEST) – Group 1 $1,000,000 Ladbrokes Doomben 10,000 (1200M)

Each Way: No. 2 SCHWARZ ($7.50 at time of publish)

Crack field of winter sprinters engaged in another exciting edition of the Ladbrokes Doomben 10,000 and I’ve landed on SCHWARZ (8) now on the fourth line of betting.

This progressive four-year-old son of Zoustar hails from the O’Shea/Charlton yard and boasts a 50% winning strike-rate from his dozen starts to date.

He’s building a nice little record and gets his chance at back-to-back Group 1s here well-rated over the six-furlongs.

This is his first go at Doomben but his 1200m form is outstanding (8:4-1-0).

At his latest he won the Group 1 William Reid at The Valley beating home Benedetta and Jimmysstar on Soft going.

Jimmysstar franked the form with his subsequent Group 1 All Aged Stakes winning performance which bodes well for this entire now.

He’s proven this way of racing having won Sydney’s Group 2 Missile Stakes on Soft going last August so no issues coming from a Melbourne win to Brisbane.

Kept fresh since the William Reid on March 22 but has won two recent hit-outs, the latest on a Heavy (8) at Randwick on May 5 so if the track stays wet think he’ll get through it without a worry.

Drawn wider out but comes into gate eight now with the early scatchings giving Craig Williams in the saddle every chance to be on pace and sticking with the task.

Happy to have him Each Way.

Place: No. 11 HIDDEN WEALTH ($16 at time of publish)

HIDDEN WEALTH (1) comes into the rails draw, which might not be ideal by Race 8 on a likely gluggy course, but still think the Tony Gollan trained Queenslander looks a genuine Top 3 hope at a price.

The five-year-old son of Better Than Ready is two-from-two at Doomben and knows his way around a wet track as a dual Heavy course winner from three goes.

They may be saying the track is into the Soft range but think it’ll run worse than that in reality so looking for the mudlarks is still key.

A nine-time winner from 18 starts, he won last year’s Group 3 George Moore over the 1200m here on a Heavy (10) by nearly four lengths and was also strong on a Good (4) to take out the lucrative $1.5 million Magic Millions QTIS (1300m) at the Gold Coast this summer.

Happy to put a line through the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) when 13^th to Libertad at Eagle Farm on May 3 having been challenged from barrier 14 of 16 off a four-month break.

Did the work to get on pace in the Group 2 before fading out but presents fitter now ready to atone and will appreciate the sting out of the course back at his pet track.

Tommy Berry comes on for the ride and he has won all three starts aboard the local sprinter.

Expected leader who can hang on for a run in the money at a nice offering.

Doomben Race 9 (4:38PM AEST) – Group 3 $250,000 Rough Habit Plate (2000M)

Place: No. 4 BEAU DAZZLER ($11 at time of publish)

BEAU DAZZLER (6) caught the eye fresh in the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) when we tipped him at 26/1 to run a place first-up. Fresh he performed well to cross the line third behind Depth Of Character and happy to stick with him again as he goes around at double-figures second-up and fitter for his resuming run.

Back-to-back winner last December at Eagle Farm claiming the Group 3 Grand Prix over 1800m on a bottomless track by nearly three lengths before repeating the feat with an equally impressive Eagle Way 3YO Quality win over 2100m when carting a hefty 60kg.

Jockey Jag Guthmann-Chester continues associations and knows this Tony & Maddysen Sears trained Ardrossan colt very well now.

The 2000m looks ideal after he kicked things off at a mile making up ground from midfield and he is down in grade.

Drawn ideally in the last at Doomben with barrier six and won’t run out of time to finish in the money the closing stages.

Scone Race 9 (3:50PM AEST) – Group 3 $250,000 Dark Jewel Classic (1400m)

Place: No. 8 MELODY AGAIN ($27 at time of publish)

MELODY AGAIN (2) has been completely forgotten in this year’s Dark Jewel Classic and more than happy to take advantage of that with a Top 3 run not out of the question.

Scott Singleton’s locally trained Your Song mare has a lovely affinity for the Scone track with two wins and a second from four runs here and is proven at the distance.

Two back she ran last at Rosehill in November but was much better after a spell returning to win a BenchMark 82 first-up at Dubbo over 1200m carrying 62kg.

Should be flying second-up down to 54kg with Christian Reith aboard from a favourable barrier two draw.

Has a tough test now against some good types but she’s capable of running on strongly from the back late for a surprise finish going past a few of these.

Happy punting!