Looking for the each way chances at big odds this weekend? Hendo’s Hopefuls delivers Saturday’s best roughies for Ladbrokes punters!
After a couple of weeks off for good behaviour, we’re back in time for Railway Stakes Day in WA with our best double-figure fancies ready to give the favourites a shake-up around the nation on Saturday.
From the value play in Victoria’s Ladbrokes Cranbourne Cup and the outsiders with genuine claims in the lucrative Kembla Grange races on The Gong Day card to the Perth horses forgotten in the markets in Saturday’s Group 1 – we have you covered.
The Value Whisperer has spoken — Lucy’s longshots line up as Saturday’s best roughie plays below!
Kembla Grange Race 7 (4:05PM AEDT) – Group 3 $300,000 The Warra (1000m)
No. 4 Catch The Glory ($8.50 at time of publish)
First, we head to Sydney for The Warra where the short-distance spring specialists face off at Kembla Grange, and while CATCH THE GLORY (6) isn’t exactly a “roughie” at $8.50 at time of publish, considering the favourite ZEALOUSLY (1) is approaching odds-on territory they still present great each way value.
Jason Coyle’s resuming Zousain mare was ultra-consistent over the spring stringing together four top three placings at Rosehill on rain-affected tracks.
The bonny four-year-old has firmer ground to overcome this weekend, but her record on Good rated tracks is solid (6:2-0-1) so I don’t think the conditions will be an issue.
Fresh she’s won two from three, so I like her coming off a little let-up.
She’s also a two-time winner from three goes at this 1000m distance so she’ll be sharp and ready to show her stuff up in grade first-up.
Back-to-back Warwick Farm trials (where she was second to Stormfield in both) have kept her ticking over and she’s deserving of a shot at something like this.
Small field and she’s drawn well for jockey Jason Collett in on just 54kg.
She’s carted plenty more weight to victory recently in easier company but doesn’t look out of place in this field.
Resumes in good order and has the talent to make an impact at this grade.
Her two lead‑up trials were eye-catching, suggesting she’s ready to progress this prep.
I’m happy to keep very safe.
Cranbourne Race 8 (4:25PM AEDT) – Listed $500,000 Ladbrokes Cranbourne Cup (1600m)
No. 11 Saban ($27 at time of publish)
SABAN (11) kicks off another campaign in the Cranbourne Cup for Moody & Coleman and I’m happy to have a little something on this consistent and improving Shamus Award five-year-old.
He’s won fresh before and is proven at the track having broken his maiden status at the course in May last year when carting 59.5kg to victory over 2025m.
No doubt the mile is short of his preferred, but from two previous 1600m assignments he’s placed second twice so first-up I don’t see the distance being too sharp for him.
Went back-to-back over 1800m at Sandown Hillside last time out over the winter so knows how to find the line.
Two subsequent jumpouts at Pakenham haven’t been super flash but he’s a horse that prefers to show up on race day and not the trials.
Only had 51kg on his back for his two latest victories but beat some good types including recent Bendigo Cup winner Sayedaty Sadaty so the form lines are strong enough to hold up in this.
Okay weight-wise with 55kg and I like Luke Nolen coming aboard.
This is a definite class test but at the price with the blinkers going on I think he’s capable of making up late ground for a potential run in the money.
Kembla Grange Race 8 (4:45PM AEDT) – Group 3 $1 million The Gong (1600m)
No. 2 Duke De Sessa ($26 at time of publish)
Saturday’s million-dollar feature in Sydney is The Gong and I’m on the favourite GRINGOTTS (7) for the win.
The value play for mine however completely left alone in the markets is DUKE DE SESSA (4) who resumes here for master horseman Ciaron Maher.
He’s eased out notably from $16 to $26 at time of publish but that only adds to the appeal!
Drawn well in gate four for jockey Adam Farrangher, the seven-year-old son of Lope De Vega is of course best known for his upset 2024 Caulfield Cup victory.
A proven stayer with top-line credentials and an excellent Group 1 record, he won the Group 3 JRA Plate (1600m) fresh at Caulfield with 60kg during the autumn so is more than capable of showing up when resuming.
Was runner-up to Dubai Honour in the Tancred Stakes back in April before things went amiss for him when 14th to Arapaho in the Sydney Cup.
That form has held up over the spring, and I’m not deterred by the time between runs as he looked the goods when runner-up in a recent 1200m trial at Randwick earlier in the month.
Decent enough first-up record (7:2-0-2) and is deserving of the 58.5kg allocation which still has him meet the favourite Gringotts (61kg) between weight-wise.
Maher is a master, this is a class galloper, and with a few key gear changes I think he’ll outrun his price.
Ascot Race 8 (7:20PM AEDT) – Group 2 $500,000 W.A. Guineas (1600m)
No. 10 Buthelezi ($12 at time of publish)
We’ve got an odds-on favourite in the WA Guineas with KING OF LIGHT (4) and a genuine winning hope in market mover HEEZA PHOENIX (9) who I really think could steal the show, but to fill the minors BUTHELEZI (12) is a forgotten stablemate to the hot top fancy who can surprise.
Brad Parnham rides this flying Dan Morton trained son of Smart Missile who comes into the lucrative Group 2 undefeated at the Ascot track as a two-time winner here.
Steps up to a mile for the first time but is proven up to 1500m so the distance won’t worry him at all.
Chases a hat-trick up in grade after two excellent wins at the course.
At his latest he won a Handicap with 54kg from gate 11 of 11 by nearly two lengths on November 1 in the perfect trial for the Guineas.
Drawn wide again in 12 but the alley suits his racing style, so I’m not concerned about the gate.
Rises to 57kg at set weights which is a challenge but was a first-up winner with 56kg in mid-October so capable of carrying it.
Well rated, a progressive type building momentum, and while he still needs to take the next step, he has the upside to be competitive and finish around the mark.
Ascot Race 9 (7:58PM AEDT) – Group 1 $1.5 million Railway Stakes (1600m)
No. 16 Storyville ($16 at time of publish)
STORYVILLE (13) is a big price to upset the field in the Railway and I’m going to throw a bit each way on the Grant & Alana Williams trained mare who comes in confident off a last start win.
This progressive Overshare four-year-old is hitting her straps at the right time and looks set to peak up to Group 1 grade now.
She’s from the race’s record-holding training partnership and is at her pet distance (3:2-1-0).
Was sixth under two lengths beaten in both the Listed Crawford Stakes and Group 3 Asian Beau Stakes in two strong runs earlier this campaign before improving to beat home Demolish last Saturday in the Group 3 RJ Peters Stakes (1500m).
I love her on the quick back-up fit and firing and she’s down a kilo in on just 53kg for jockey big race specialist Fred Kersley.
The wide gate is a query and goes towards explaining her price but she’s undefeated at the track and trip, and if she gets a clear run is more than up to the challenge.