Ladbrokes has spotted a few under-the-radar roughies for Saturday – make sure to take a second look before enjoying a punt!
We were luckless last Saturday with our roughie selections who didn’t quite deliver across some tricky race cards.
Back to the drawing board, and we’ve been going over the race replays and form lines ahead of the big ones in Sydney and Melbourne this weekend.
The Golden Rose Day card at Rosehill features plenty of value including a 50/1 outside in the feature that looks way overs to chase home his better fancied stablemate.
Sandown Stakes Day at Hillside is also host to two Group events where we’ve found a couple of double-figure contenders that could be worth an Each Way play.
The Value Whisperer’s latest roughie selections are quietly looming—don’t miss Lucy Henderson’s watchlist.
Rosehill Race 3 (1:05PM AEST) – Group 3 $250,000 Colin Stephen Quality (2400m)
No. 6 Sun ‘N’ Sand ($12 at time of publish)
Some of the second-tier spring stayers get about early on the Golden Rose Day card and I think progressive Pride Of Dubai mare SUN ‘N’ SAND (4) shapes up as a genuine Top 3 chance without getting much love from the punters.
This Canberra-based four-year-old is fourth-up and boasts the fitness edge here looking to improve on her three unplaced runs this time in.
The key is the trip, and she’ll absolutely relish getting up to the mile-and-a-half now, which she’s been crying out for.
Her three-year-old season was eye-catching, including her Group 1 ATC Oaks (2400m) second behind the very good Treasurethe Moment at Randwick.
She was completely underrated at 50/1 that day, and we’ve all seen what that winner has gone on to do.
This time in, Sun ‘N’ Sand’s best came a fortnight ago here at Rosehill over 1800m when carting 58kg to a fifth behind Nkosi in a BM88 for a solid on-pace performance without giving in late.
Obviously, she is back up in grade now, but she’s right back to 55.5kg and drawn to get the run of the race from the gate.
She’ll be up on pace again and has the stamina to see this out and surprise a few come the finishing line.
Sandown Race 6 (3:05PM AEST) – Group 2 $300,000 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m)
No. 7 Prestige Snitzel ($12 at time of publish)
I’m on CUSTOM (1) for the win in the Thousand Guineas Prelude, but one I think presents as a genuine challenger and Each Way value racing fresh is Matt Laurie’s PRESTIGE SNITZEL (8).
Laurie could be in for a huge weekend, and I think first-up this up-and-coming daughter of Snitzel could race better than her price suggests to kick off her three-year-old campaign.
She’s had three starts to date including a sound debut in March’s Group 3 Ottawa Stakes when fourth to Military Tycoon over 1000m.
From there she stuck to HQ and was runner-up in a Group 3 down the straight before breaking her maiden status with a terrific 2.25 lengths win in the Mornington Sires’.
A change of stables has her lining-up for Laurie for the first time on Saturday, and she’s definitely looked the goods in her lead-up trials.
The way she delivered over 1200m suggests the 1400m won’t be too much of an ask and I think she’ll have enough natural improvement to go on with the job here.
Sandown Race 7 (3:45PM AEST) – Group 3 $200,000 Sandown Stakes (1500m)
No. 6 El Rocko ($13 at time of publish)
I believe EVAPORATE (9) has the class edge on this field and will win even with the top weight, but one that can follow him over the line at a good price is the in-form EL ROCKO (10) who comes off a string of top two performances.
John McArdle’s Fastnet Rock seven-year-old lines-up for his 55th career run on the weekend but continues to show a zest for racing with two wins and two seconds at his latest four.
He’s been racing against some nice types over the past season too including a second to Zou Sensation at Caulfield in July with Yellow Sam third in that event.
Back-to-back Caulfield wins over the mile followed before his last start second behind Too Darn Discreet on August 30 in the Listed Heatherlie Handicap (1700m) when run down late after trying to go all-the-way.
Kept fit with a subsequent winning Mornington trial this month, he’s in on just 54kg and I’m surprised to see him at double-figures yet again based on how consistent he’s been.
The 1500m looks spot on, regular rider Jett Stanley knows him so well and always gets the best out of this gelding, and I’m not concerned about the wider alley as he’ll be midfield anyway.
Going well enough to finish in the money once again.
Rosehill Race 8 (4:05PM AEST) – Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose Stakes (1400m)
No. 5 State Visit (6)
Trainer Ciaron Maher bookends the Golden Rose betting markets as he prepares to saddle-up the top fancy TEMPTED (8) and the rank outsider STATE VISIT (6) in the hunt for his first success in this prestigious event.
Another Wootton Bassett colt in the mix, State Visit is tipped to run dead last, but I think he has more potential than that especially getting out to 1400m.
I love roughies with credible form to finish in the money behind their better fancied stablemates and, if you’re on the filly Tempted, then be tempted to add this guy to your exotics.
His only win was a Canterbury maiden back in February, but he was far from disgraced when third in the Pago Pago behind Skyhook, second to Vinrock in a thrilling Inglis Sires’ quinella, and only two lengths fourth to Nepotism in the Champagne Stakes over the Randwick mile.
He went around at a similar quote of 60/1 in the Run To The Rose running four lengths off fifth to Tempted in what I thought was a lovely campaign kickoff.
A beauty to look at, one that will appreciate the distance, and he is definitely a forgotten runner that could run Top 4 for mine without surprising.
Don’t forget to also check out my complete runner-by-runner 2025 Golden Rose Stakes Preview & SRM Selections!
Rosehill Race 9 (4:45PM AEST) – Group 2 $300,000 Shannon Stakes (1500m)
No. 2 Fawkner Park ($14 at time of publish)
The punters are coming for the favourite GRINGOTTS (7) but for a value Each Way play the resuming FAWKNER PARK (10) from the Archibald yard has caught my attention in the Shannon Stakes.
Yes, the 60kg will be a tough carry but this Zoffany seven-year-old is a tough galloper who rarely puts in a bad performance.
His record fresh doesn’t exactly set the form guide alight, but he has won first-up in the past and regular rider Ethan Brown – who is airborne right now – knows him very well.
Chasing his first win since the Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m) last November but was ultra-competitive all last prep including a third only two lengths off the Cox Plate queen Via Sistina in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) here.
His Rosehill record is strong (7:3-1-1) and the 1500m to kick things off looks right in his wheelhouse. In Brisbane over the winter, he ran in the money three times on the trot including a Group 1 Doomben Cup second, so he’s not done with this kind of company just yet.
Latest had him third in a blanket finish beaten a nostril-flare in the Group 2 The Q22 and he looked pretty sharp in a recent Randwick trial.
Can surprise.
Good luck punters!