Looking for Saturday’s best hoodoo racing bets? Ladbrokes have you covered with our insider weekly omen tips!
We’re back for another installment of Hendo’s Hoodoo Bets where Lucy Henderson – Ladbrokes own ‘Value Whisperer’ – moves from tipping the roughies in her Hendo’s Hopefuls to getting the most out of her gut instinct around the nation this Saturday.
Last week it was Rugby League in Vegas, and this weekend we’ve got another massive crossover of footy fever and the ponies.
With the 2026 AFL season now underway, and a host of feature race meetings including All-Star Mile Day at HQ and Randwick Guineas Day in Sydney, we’ve got plenty to unpack.
The AFL has a truly tribal league of followers, and this Saturday’s best omen bets practically write themselves with jerseys, mascots and the names of some of Aussie Rules’ most iconic players popping up on the racing form guide.
Read on for Hendo’s full list of hoodoo racing tips tying into the AFL Opening Round.
From the first bounce to the final furlong, Hendo is kicking off the 2026 AFL season with a “Sherrin-certified” guide to the biggest footy-themed horse racing omens this Saturday!
Why not take your omen betting to another level and place a Multi bet on one of the below horses to win and follow the Aussie Rules vibes by rolling it into a victory by your favourite footy team in the AFL this weekend? Best Multi Omen Tips found below!
Flemington
Why not take your weekend omen betting to another level and place a Multi bet on one of the below horses to win and follow the Vegas vibes by rolling it into a victory by your favourite footy team over in the States?
| 5. Go Left (4) 54kg112x |
| 7. Welcometotheshow (1) 54kg11118 |
Check out our full 2026 All-Star Mile Runner-by-Runner Preview now!
| 3. Antino (1) 59kg428×8 |
| 6. Point King (7) 56kg2x69x |
Omen Multi Best Bet
Just as the Brisbane Lions prepare to unfurl their 2025 Premiership flag at the Gabba on Saturday night against the Western Bulldogs, the “Lions” of the racetrack, Antino, is set to hoist the flag for Queensland in the $2 million All-Star Mile at Flemington. Recently crowned the Queensland Horse of the Year for the second consecutive season, Antino embodies the Lions’ grit, known for a relentless finishing burst that has already secured him elite Group 1 victories in the Toorak Handicap and the Doomben Cup. While his recent first-up run in Sydney was a bit of a head-scratcher, his trainer is confident the seven-year-old is ready to return to his best form on the big stage in Melbourne.
Standing behind this stable star is the undisputed “King of Brisbane” racing, Tony Gollan, whose dominance mirrors the most elite eras of AFL history. With 12 consecutive Brisbane Metropolitan Trainers’ Premierships under his belt and a recent induction into the Queensland Racing Hall of Fame, Gollan has set a benchmark for consistency that is essentially untouchable. Based at Eagle Farm, he has made a career of preparing elite thoroughbreds like Antino to take on the best in the country. For fans watching the double-header this Saturday, an Antino victory at 3:40 PM at Flemington would serve as the ultimate omen for a Lions win when the first bounce occurs at 6:35 PM at the Gabba.
| 3. Antino (1) 59kg428×8 |
Randwick
| 13. Sunsource (10) 54kg63200 |
| 1. Giga Kick (5) 58.5kgx11x5 |
| 1. Autumn Boy (3) 56.5kg271×3 |
| 10. Nepotism (2) 56kg9877x |
Omen Multi Best Bet
The solar stars appear to be aligning for a massive weekend on the Gold Coast, starting with a Friday night blockbuster at People First Stadium. The Gold Coast Suns are set to kick off their 2026 campaign in the AFL’s Opening Round against the Geelong Cats, and there is a palpable sense of a new era beginning under the lights at 8:05 PM. With the addition of high-impact stars like Christian Petracca and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, the Suns enter the season as genuine premiership contenders and look primed to overwhelm a traveling Geelong side that hasn’t won at this venue since 2022. A victory here wouldn’t just secure the first four points of the season; it would set a scorching tone for the local fans heading into a high-stakes weekend of sport.
The “Sun” omen carries directly into Saturday’s racing at Royal Randwick, where Sunsource is scheduled to jump in the very first race of the day, the $120,000 Midway Handicap (1600m) at 12:30 PM. Competing in a field tailored for local trainers, Sunsource finds himself back in a grade where he has previously thrived and looks exceptionally well-placed with a light weight of just 54kg. Jockey Tom Sherry is booked to navigate from barrier 11, and with the track currently rated a Soft 6, the conditions should suit this galloper’s ability to grind out a finish. For those following the solar theme, a Suns victory on Friday night followed by a Sunsource win in the Saturday opener represents the ultimate double, turning the “Solar Flare” multi into a powerful statement of intent for the 2026 season.
The solar stars appear to be aligning for a massive weekend on the Gold Coast, starting with a Friday night blockbuster at People First Stadium. The Gold Coast Suns are set to kick off their 2026 campaign in the AFL’s Opening Round against the Geelong Cats, and there is a palpable sense of a new era beginning under the lights at 8:05 PM. With the addition of high-impact stars like Christian Petracca and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, the Suns enter the season as genuine premiership contenders and look primed to overwhelm a traveling Geelong side that hasn’t won at this venue since 2022. A victory here wouldn’t just secure the first four points of the season; it would set a scorching tone for the local fans heading into a high-stakes weekend of sport.
The “Sun” omen carries directly into Saturday’s racing at Royal Randwick, where Sunsource is scheduled to jump in the very first race of the day, the $120,000 Midway Handicap (1600m) at 12:30 PM. Competing in a field tailored for local trainers, Sunsource finds himself back in a grade where he has previously thrived and looks exceptionally well-placed with a light weight of just 54kg. Jockey Tom Sherry is booked to navigate from barrier 11, and with the track currently rated a Soft 6, the conditions should suit this galloper’s ability to grind out a finish. For those following the solar theme, a Suns victory on Friday night followed by a Sunsource win in the Saturday opener represents the ultimate double, turning the “Solar Flare” multi into a powerful statement of intent for the 2026 season.
| 13. Sunsource (10) 54kg63200 |
Eagle Farm
| 5. First Mission (10)SCRATCHED: | |||
| 5. Ready For The Trip (8) 60.5kg113×4 |
| 1. Airswing (15)SCRATCHED: | |||
| 5. Silent Call (14)SCRATCHED: | |||
| 3. Free Carry (2) 57kg626×7 | ||
| 5. Make A Call (5) 55.5kg17×12 |
Gold Coast
| 8. Eye Of The Eagle (5) 54kg806×4 |
| 6. Power And War (2) 58kg |
| 4. Eagles Beware (6) 59kg45530 |
| 7. Kickatinalong (4) 54kg0x506 |
Hawkesbury
| 8. Bondi Stella (1) 56.5kg5 |
| 1. Coulter (6) 59kg6x |
| 3. Dusty Bay (8)SCRATCHED: | |||
Happy hoodoo punting!