Some hidden gems are popping up in the Ladbrokes markets this weekend—don’t miss your chance at these Saturday roughies!
Plenty of roughies got up last weekend – just not the ones we had flagged.
With a couple of our selections getting scratched and others having luckless runs a week ago, we’re back this Saturday across an absolutely bumper line-up that tempts even the most reserved of punters.
In Melbourne Via Sistina chases another Turnbull Stakes win at HQ, and we’ve got our eye on a long shot in the Group 1 to chase her over the line.
Flemington’s card is stacked from the debutants early in the day to the Melbourne Cup hopes facing off in The Bart Cummings and there’s plenty of value to be had.
Sydney’s Randwick line-up on Epsom Handicap Day is also elite, and we’ve uncovered the double-figure hopes in the day’s features that aren’t there to just make up numbers.
Lucy Henderson’s got a few roughies up her sleeve and The Value Whisperer’s watchlist can be found below.
Randwick Race 3 (1:15PM AEST) – Group 3 $250,000 Gimcrack Stakes (1000m)
No. 8 Oh Yes She Did ($11 at time of publish)
A field of unraced fillies face off in the Gimcrack and these events – while often tough for punters with only trial form to go on – can prove very profitable if some of these live up to their breeding.
One that stands out for mine being a daughter of former The Everest winner Yes Yes Yes is OH YES SHE DID (9) at 10/1 at time of publish for Mitchell & Desiree Kearney.
While the punters are coming for the big name stable (Waterhouse & Bott) I think this Hawkesbury based duo could have a potential top-liner in the making to watch out for.
She’s a lovely looking type who caught the eye on September 22 with a big Kensington trial win over 850m.
Wider drawn which explains her odds on the weekend, Tyler Schiller sticks in the saddle and based on her pedigree alone I think she can feature in the Top 3.
Flemington Race 4 (2:05PM AEST) – Group 2 $300,000 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m)
No. 3 SPICY LU ($7.50 at time of publish)
While not a genuine “roughie” the $7.50 price on SPICY LU (9) at time of publish is still attractive enough to have her included here for the win in the Edward Manifold.
Third-up and ready to peak, she presents as a strong value play to take out this Group 2.
The Nick Olive-trained Tagaloa filly boasts a tidy record of three wins from six starts and is chasing her first victory as a three-year-old.
Her juvenile season featured a dominant Listed Fernhill win over the Randwick mile and a credible seventh in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes, finishing just three lengths off Nepotism.
This prep, she was unsuited fresh in the Furious Stakes but showed sharp improvement when fourth in the Listed Jim Moloney Stakes at Caulfield behind Yum.
Dropping in weight and meeting Yum better at the set weights with 56kg, she gets the services of Mark Zahra and returns to her preferred mile trip.
With conditions to suit and a top jockey aboard, she has a real shot at the title here.
Flemington Race 5 (2:40PM AEST) – Group 2 $300,000 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m)
No. 10 Tuileries ($10 at time of publish)
TUILERIES (7) is at double-figures here rock-hard fit having her fifth run this time in and I think she can go close.
Peter Snowden’s consistent four-year-old daughter of So You Think has a trio of wins to her name now, the latest of which was at Warwick Farm a month ago over 1400m when carting a hefty 60kg to victory in a BM72.
Her latest start at Newcastle when third to Oh Diamond Lil in the Group 3 Tibbie Stakes was brave and she heads south now deserving of a run in this event.
In on 55kg with the man Craig Williams coming aboard – that’s a big advantage.
She’s showing good progression, gets conditions to suit and from a midfield spot in the run I think she’ll finish strongly to really challenge a couple of the better fancied.
Randwick Race 6 (3:00PM AEST) – Group 1 $750,000 Flight Stakes (1600m).
No. 10 Magenta Skies ($17 at time of publish)
MAGENTA SKIES (6) shapes as a genuine trifecta chance behind her well-fancied stablemate, bringing upside and pedigree to the big stage in the Flight Stakes.
The beautifully bred daughter of Frankel makes her big city debut after racing exclusively at Newcastle, where she broke her maiden in style on September 19, comfortably defeating older mares over 1400m as the odds-on favourite.
Tim Clark retains the ride, and while she faces a steep class rise, her draw just inside Apocalyptic gives her a chance to settle well and track the favourite into the race.
With natural improvement, she could surprise a few and add value to the minors.
Flemington Race 6 (3:15PM AEST) – Group 2 $300,000 Danehill Stakes (1100m)
No. 5 Shining Smile ($31 at time of publish)
There’s a crack field of three-year-old sprinters in this year’s Danehill possibly out to earn a shot at The Everest in Sydney but the forgotten runner who could sneak into the money behind the better backed is SHINING SMILE (9) for Team Hayes.
The Lindsay Park boys saddle-up this Spirit Of Boom colt for his 11th career start and he comes in with a 50% winning strike rate so far.
Three of his five victories have been here at HQ so he’s a genuine Flemington specialist that goes well down the straight (6:3-1-1).
That can make all the difference in speed affairs like this.
He saluted in a Black-Type here back in March with 59kg beating Prestige Forever, backed that up to win at the same track and trip in the winter with even more weight, and now chases his first win as a 3YO.
Fresh in the Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield he ran fifth by only 2.5 lengths off Jimmy Recard who is one of the best in betting for Saturday’s race.
Good here when just a length off Legacy Bound in the Listed Poseidon Stakes (1100m) two back, he then went to Sandown for a handicap dropping back in distance where he wasn’t awful against a good type in Aleppo Pine running third.
Returns to his pet track now, is fit, better suited to the 1100m and can carry the kilos.
Not without Top 3 claims at a great price.
Randwick Race 8 (4:10PM AEST) – Group 1 $1.5 million Epsom Handicap (1600m)
No. 8 El Castello ($18 at time of publish)
EL CASTELLO (1) draws the rails in Saturday’s feature in Sydney and shapes as a sneaky exotics contender from the Joe Pride stable.
The four-year-old son of Castelvecchio boasts a strong Randwick record (4:2-1-0), and the step up to 1600m looks ideal at this stage of his prep.
A Group 1 winner in last year’s Spring Champion Stakes over 2000m, he followed that with a respectable fifth in the VRC Derby.
His lone run since came on September 13 in the Theo Marks, finishing five lengths off Autumn Glow over a trip short of his best.
He showed promise tracking the winner throughout before being outsprinted late.
Now fitter, up in distance, and drawn to save ground, he drops to just 51kg with Andrew Adkins aboard making him a genuine smokey with upside.
My complete 2025 Epsom Handicap Runner-by-Runner Preview can be found by clicking here.
Flemington Race 8 (4:25PM AEST) – Group 1 $750,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m)
No. 10 Golden Path ($17 at time of publish)
GOLDEN PATH (3) stands out as one of the more appealing roughie options to add value in SRM selections in the Turnbull.
While this is a significant test for the in-form six-year-old, he’s ticking plenty of boxes this prep.
His Randwick record is solid with two wins from three starts, and his strike-rate over 2000m suggests he’ll handle the trip.
He was particularly eye-catching when third in the Underwood Stakes behind Sir Delius, sticking on gamely to finish just half a length off the winner over 1800m at a similarly overlooked price.
Now rock-hard fit and dropping to 55kg under the SW+P conditions, he’s well in the mix.
Randwick Race 9 (4:45PM AEST) – Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m)
No. 11 Piggyback ($23 at time of publish)
PIGGYBACK (13) might be chasing a bold hat-trick at long odds in The Metropolitan, but the Ciaron Maher-trained Trapeze Artist mare has genuine Top 4 credentials at value.
She’s backing up quickly after a gutsy win in the Colin Stephen Quality over 2400m at Rosehill, where she outstayed her more fancied stablemate Juja Kibo while lugging 55.5kg.
Crucially, she’s exempt from penalty and drops to just 50kg for Saturday’s test.
If she can slot in from the wide gate, she’s well positioned to run a cheeky race and sneak into the finish.
Good luck punters!