Hendo’s Hopefuls: Saturday’s Best Roughies

Looking to add a bit of value to your weekend punting? Ladbrokes have the best double‑figure roughies to boost your exotics this Saturday right here!

We’re happy to put a line through last weekend…moving on now to win back the love of the punters with plenty of festive season features to unpack this Saturday.

From the huge card at Pakenham on Cup Day where we’re taking on the Ladbrokes Supernova favourite with a juicy value play, to Sydney’s The Ingham program, then up to Brissie for The Gateway – we’ve got you covered.

The Value Whisperer has crunched the form and spotted the value. Explore her best Saturday racing selections below.

Randwick Race 4 – $160,000 Jack Ingham AO Handicap (1200m)

No. 14 Laurel Hill

LAUREL HILL (1) is floating around the $23 mark for Race 4 in Sydney, and honestly, that’s a pretty tasty Each‑Way shout for a mare absolutely flying this prep.

With a bunch of the big guns drawn out in the carpark, she gets the dream run from barrier one — no excuses.

She’s super reliable at the 1200m trip and a Soft track only boosts her chances; she loves getting her toe in.

She’s chasing three on the bounce after a pair of strong wins in easier grade, but she’s definitely not out of place stepping up here.

Two back she toughed it out to knock off She Swings at Newcastle over 1400m, then last start she came from the clouds with 55.5kg to put them away by more than a length at Kensington.

Now she’s on the quick back‑up, drops right down to 53kg, and Dylan Gibbons — who knows her well — hops back on.

Winkers go on, she’s in the zone, and she’s travelling far too well for me to leave out at the price.

She can absolutely give this a shake at big odds.

Pakenham Race 7 – Listed $300,000 Ladbrokes Pakenham Cup (2500m)

No. 18 Haaland

Lucinda Boyd’s Ballarat trained HAALAND (13) is at blowout odds of 40/1 for the Pakenham Cup, and considering his decent place rate over the mile and a half and proven Soft form, I’m going to throw a few dollars his way should he get a start.

One has already come out of the field, so he needs just one more scratching to make the starting line-up.

No doubt he’ll be tested class-wise here should he gain a run but there’s plenty working in his favour, mainly that lovely weight coming back to just 54kg.

The seven-year-old has won two of his past four starts and comes off an encouraging fourth to Black Peppermint over 2540m at Cranbourne on November 22 when carting 61kg at BM70 level.

Will appreciate the seven kilo drop and a track with more give in it now.

Drawn wider out for Boyd but can slot in midfield and give them plenty of chase the closing stages.

Watch this space.

Pakenham Race 8 – $1 million Ladbrokes Supernova (1400m)

No. 9 Taken

No knock on PRIVATE EYE (5) — he’s the class act and a totally worthy favourite in this year’s Ladbrokes Supernova. But if we’re talking value, I think TAKEN (2) is nowhere near out of the conversation.

Sitting at around $12 at publish time, this ultra‑consistent Ardrossan four‑year‑old from the Price/Kent Jnr yard has peeled off five straight wins and just keeps raising the bar. He steps up again here, but he ticks a heap of boxes.

The 1400m is right in his sweet spot (3:2‑0‑1), and he’s already shown he handles Pakenham nicely (3:1‑2‑0).

He’s also unbeaten on Slow ground, so the conditions look tailor‑made for him. Add in a soft draw and he should get every possible favour.

Jamie Mott takes over from Ethan Brown — who rode him to that razor‑thin Caulfield win first‑up after a five‑month break — and he drops half a kilo from that run after lumping 58kg to victory. He’ll only strip fitter.

He made good ground from midfield fresh and can absolutely produce something similar again in what is his biggest test to date.

At double‑figure odds, he’s exactly the kind of roughie I want in my corner.

Randwick Race 8 – Group 2 $2 million The Ingham (1600m)

No. 17 Melody Again

MELODY AGAIN (9) was completely left alone by the punters last time out at Rosehill in the Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) but ran out of her skin at 30/1 to cross only 0.7 lengths third to Yorkshire in a run full of merit.

The Festival winner is second favourite in The Ingham betting while this Scott Singleton trained Your Song mare is right down the other end of the markets at $35 currently.

That makes little sense to me and I’m more than happy to capitalise and take her for a Top 3 run once more.

In on the 53kg minimum, drawn well midfield with options and Winona Costin sticking with further add to her appeal.

Run prior also went around at a big price when under a length fourth in Hawkesbury’s Listed Ladies Day Cup so the consistency is there.

Won the Group 3 Dark Jewel Classic at her home Scone track back in May – and guess what she paid? $41!

Why the bookies hate this six-year-old is a mystery, but she keeps showing up and running better than her price.

I think she’ll surprise a few in this field.

Eagle Farm Race 8 – $300,000 The Ladbrokes Gateway (1400m)

No. 8 Poster Girl

POSTER GIRL (9) faces an acid test in a field full of 2026 Stradbroke hopes but she’s on fire for the Munce boys chasing a hat-trick.

This progressive four-year-old daughter of Alabama Express is proven at the Eagle Farm track (5:2-1-0) and gets her chance in an open race to keep the ins coming after going back-to-back in November.

Following a disappointing Queensland Oaks bid when 14^th at 70/1 over 2200m during the winter, she resumed over 1200m at the EF course and was huge at double-figures carting 60.5kg to a narrow half-length win against her own kind at Class 3 level.

She then went to the Sunshine Coast and won by the same kind of margin in a BM78 with 57.5kg defeating Bold Comic over the six furlongs.

I think the 1400m is well within her grasp and she is in on 57kg which looks a good weight for her.

Hoop Martin Harley knows her well, can get her midfield with a big of cover before unleashing late.

Great exotics inclusion.

Happy punting!