Hendo’s Hopefuls: Saturday’s Best Roughies

Chasing the value around the nation this week? Ladbrokes have the top Saturday roughies to lock in and add value to your weekend punting!

A triple shot of Group 1 autumn racing action? Yes please!

Ask and you shall receive. This weekend Flemington and Randwick are both host to elite-level feature races and, while we’ve got plenty of star shorties getting around that look hard to deny, there’s still some underrated runners to consider for the support acts and exotic Group 1 betting on Saturday!

Our weekend roughies last week might not have finished first three but there were some huge runs for fourth that will be worth following in the coming weeks.

Let’s see if we can’t do better this week with more form to go on now.

From the Australian Guineas to the Verry Elleegant, we’ve unearthed some forgotten fancies set to outrace their juicy odds.

Ladbrokes Value Whisperer, Lucy Henderson, is here for it providing punters with her Saturday best value bets below!

Looking for more? Check out the latest installment of our new series – Hendo’s Hoodoos – unpacking the best Saturday omen bets as we welcome prepare for the NRL season kick-off in Vegas!

Randwick Race 5 – Group 2 $300,000 Skyline Stakes (1200m)

No. 5 Plagiarism

Hands down, WARWOVEN (1) is the 2YO to beat in the Skyline but for value to finish in the money behind the Golden Slipper favourite I think PLAGIARISM (9) at the price is not without claims.

Hailing from one of the master stables of juveniles, this Waterhouse/Bott-trained Written By colt has his third start here and chases a maiden win.

On debut at big odds, he ran a brave third in the Group 3 Golden Gift behind Revengeance and a nice filly Spicy Miss.

Fresh he kicked off here in the $2 million Inglis Millennium and his sixth-place finish behind Fireball is better than it reads on paper.

Only 1.46 lengths separated him and the winner after he was forced to cover lots of early ground using up too much energy before fading late.

Has another wide alley to overcome here.

The in-form Adam Hyeronimus comes aboard for the ride and he’s likely to take this guy forward from the gate.

Fitter for his resuming run, he can hang on for a podium finish.

Don’t forget to also check out this week’s The Lead-Up Lens tracking the Skyline Stakes into the Golden Slipper!

Randwick Race 6 – Group 2 $300,000 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m)

No. 6 Dark Glitter

DARK GLITTER (3) presents fit third-up and ready to fire in an open edition of the Guy Walter.

This Spieth mare out of Hawkesbury has her 10^th Randwick run and is looking to break a lengthy winning drought.

She’s not been in the winner’s stall since saluting in a BM78 here last February and, while I don’t think she’ll be first past the post, she’s a genuine place hope.

Second to Firestorm in last year’s Group 2 Millie Fox before a flop when second last behind Amelia’s Jewel in this race 12 months ago.

Looks like she’s going a touch better this prep having run under two lengths fourth in the Group 3 Triscay on Feb 14 at a massive price doing her best work late to come from last on the turn.

Millie Fox third last weekend 2.6 lengths behind Cinsault and I like her on the quick back-up again now.

While winless from 14 starts at the 1400m, the blinkers go on to help her settle and get the distance.  

Rock hard fit, will settle back, and if Gerringong can inject enough pace into this, she’ll be set up for another late charge.

Flemington Race 7 – Group 2 $300,000 Blamey Stakes (1600m)

No. 10 Plymouth

PLYMOUTH (9) has been completely left alone by punters in the Blamey Stakes, but this four-year-old son of The Autumn Sun could prove excellent value over the Flemington mile.

Noted, HQ hasn’t been his preferred track to date as he’s without a top three finish from a trio of runs at the course but he’s an improving stayer who’ll relish the 1600m second-up.

Ran an excellent first-up fourth at 50/1 behind Tom Kitten in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan over 1400m at Caulfield on February 7 having come from last on the home turn, and natural improvement will go a long way.

The Benalla Cup winner from last September showed nice ability when second in the Group 2 Herbert Power over the mile and half after that before being outclassed in the Caulfield Cup.

This is easier.

Watch for him late.

Randwick Race 7 – Group 1 $750,000 Surround Stakes (1400m)

No. 7 Panova (8)

TEMPTED (2) wins the Surround for mine but there’s some minor placings to fill behind the superlative filly and PANOVA (8) racing fresh has caught my eye.

Chris Waller’s consistent daughter of Trapeze Artist has run top two in in all but one of her five starts to date including a Black-Type win at this track and trip in the Group 3 Reginald Allen last October.

Went on to beat the boys with a stylish 1.75 length Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes victory at Flemington on Derby Day and makes her much-awaited return now.

While her lead-up trials have been a little flat, she’s a filly that usually brings her best to race day.

Huge at her latest, back against her own sex now and the booking of super hoop James McDonald is a big tick.

Needs to go to another level but she knows how to win, chases a hat-trick, and if she can get out at the right time I expect her to reel off some very strong late sectionals.

Flemington Race 8 – Group 1 $1 million Australian Guineas (1600m)

No. 9 Onavuitton (8)

OBSERVER (6) and SIXTIES (10) look set to battle it out for the Guineas top prize but something further down the markets that could surprise is ONAVUITTON (8).

He’s ticking enough boxes to be worth a cheeky look in the wider exotics for the Flemington Group 1.

Third‑up and fit now, the Simon Zahra‑trained gelding showed real promise as a 2YO when placing behind Vinrock in the VRC Sires’, and after nearly a year off he’s come back in great order.

He was sharp fresh at Cranbourne, sweeping home to win his maiden by a couple of lengths, and he backed that up with a very honest fourth in the Autumn Stakes, finishing under three lengths off Observer in a run that reads well for this.

Thomas Stockdale sticks, he’s still got a bit to find on the big guns, but he’s trending the right way and definitely has a blowout look about him.

Click here for my full 2026 Australian Guineas Runner-By-Runner Preview & Tips!

Randwick Race 8 – Group 1 $1 million Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m)

No. 3 Lindermann

LINDERMANN (8) isn’t here to knock off his superstar stablemate Autumn Glow, but he’s absolutely the type you can sneak into your exotics at a nice price.

Chris Waller has a stranglehold on the Verry Elleegant this year with seven of the nine runners, and this bloke is the underrated worker of the bunch — tough, honest and super consistent.

He knocked off Sir Delius in the Chelmsford over this track and trip in spring, then went within a whisker of upsetting Fangirl in the 7 Stakes before rolling into the Hill Stakes–Craven Plate double like a horse in peak form.

His first‑up third behind Autumn Glow in the Apollo wasn’t flattering on paper, but he wasn’t bad at all, and he’s a seriously good second‑up horse.

Fitter now, Nash Rawiller takes over, and he’s likely to roll forward and make his own luck.

Hanging on for a top‑three finish? Not out of the question at all.

Flemington Race 9 – $1 million Inglis Sprint (1200m)

No. 4 La Astro Chat

Some flying three-year-old sprinters step out in the Inglis Sprint late on the Guineas Day card and the price on LA ASTRO CHAT (5) looks ridiculous in my opinion.

The Star Turn gelding from Mornington boasts a 50% winning strike rate from his eight starts to date and is right in the mix for mine despite the $35 price.

He chases a hat-trick having gone back-to-back last month in easier company saluting by 1.75 lengths at Mornington over 1000m in a BM62 off an impressive on-speed run before a narrow upset in a slightly tougher BM74 over 1100m at Caulfield on January 24.

Was an eye-catcher in a scintillating Flemington jump-out last Friday defeating Gin Twist in a trial full of depth.

First time at HQ and over the six furlongs but he’s drawn a dream to save ground from barrier five and gets conditions to suit.

I expect him to take advantage of the gate and get to the front, and he’s going well enough to hold on for a top three finish.  

Randwick Race 9 – Group 3 $250,000 Liverpool City Cup (1300m)

No. 4 Zarastro

ZARASTRO (8) runs second-up in the penultimate event at Flemington on Saturday and despite facing a quality line-up of rivals I have him pegged as an Each Way play for one of Brisbane’s best – Tony Gollan.

This evergreen seven-year-old son of I Am Invincible boasts a terrific 1300m record (4:2-1-0) and is a class horse on his day as proven by his devastatingly close second to Joliestar in the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm last winter.

Form around some excellent sprinters from last prep including Tropicus and Sepals and brought his good summer trial form to the races when kicking off at Rosehill last month in the Group 3 JRA Plate.

Went down a length behind Willaidow with 59kg on his back after attempting to go all-the-way before getting run down late.

Faces a few of the same here fitter with a better second-up record to build on.

Back to 56kg and Angela Jones sticks aboard.

Will lead them around again and looks every chance to hold them at bay this time.

Good luck punters!