Hendo’s Hopefuls: Saturday’s Best Roughies

Looking for the top Saturday roughies this weekend? Ladbrokes have you sorted with our best value racing selections around the country!

We’re really getting into the thick of the Group 1 racing action now with All-Star Mile Day at HQ and a stacked Randwick Guineas Day card in Sydney.

There are a few shorties in the markets looking hard to deny including boom colt Tentyris in the Newmarket down the straight, but outside of the top elects are a host of talented rivals out to fill those minor placings.

Will we see some blowout autumn racing results? Can the roughies outrun their prices in some of the weekend’s feature races?

Ladbrokes’ own Value Whisperer, Lucy Henderson, has sifted through the form and lined up her best value bets for punters this Saturday.

Flemington Race 3 – Group 3 $200,000 Ottawa Stakes (1000m)

No. 1 Rebel Tuesday

REBEL TUESDAY (9) looks a cracking roughie to kick things off on Saturday, sitting around the $10 mark and offering way more value than the market gives her credit for.

The Phillip Stokes‑trained Rebel Dane filly is absolutely airborne chasing a hat‑trick, coming off two sharp Morphettville wins and a gritty Listed Cinderella Stakes victory where she stuck on like a little rocket.

She’s a proper short‑course specialist with a tidy 3:2‑1‑0 record at the trip, and while this is her first look at Flemington, Lachlan Neindorf jumps aboard at the right time with the filly thriving.

She deserves her shot at a race like the Ottawa, and if she brings that same zip down the straight, she’s right in the mix at a juicy price.

Randwick Race 3 – Group 2 $300,000 Reisling Stakes (1200m)

No. 4 Pearl Of Dubai

PEARL OF DUBAI (13) faces an open field of 2YO fillies as a standout chance at a big price to break her maiden status at her third start.

Yes, this Peter Snowden-trained daughter of Wootton Bassett has a nasty barrier to overcome, but she’s on the improve and with the right ride from Andrew Adkins she can definitely feature.

Was runner-up in the Kirkham Plate here on debut last October before getting her autumn underway with a fourth under three lengths off Chilly Girl in Rosehill’s Group 3 Widden Stakes.

The blinkers go on for the first time to help her focus, and she looks like she’s been crying out for the six furlongs so gets a trip to suit.

Has options to either settle back or cross and sit on speed like she did in the Widden.

If she saves enough in the tank she can surprise a few.

Randwick Race 4 – Group 2 $300,000 Todman Stakes (1200m)

No. 6 Eviction Notice

EVICTION NOTICE (8) faces a few tough juveniles with proven winning form and subsequently has gotten out to a huge price despite having shown plenty of promise in his three starts so far.

Hailing from one of the country’s leading stables when it comes to training youngsters to peak, this Waterhouse/Bott runner is fit third-up now coming off back-to-back placings in similar company.

Third fresh under two lengths off Hidrix in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes in January before a second to Stretan Ruler at Rosehill in the Group 2 Silver Slipper.

Would be a huge ask to get him to close that margin completely after he crossed 3.47 lengths off the winner that day at 25/1, but he’ll enjoy the 1200m.

Adam Hyeronimus sticks with from a midfield gate, he’s expected to get to the lead again like he did in the Silver Slipper taking up the role of pacesetter and can absolutely hold on and run in the money again.

Don’t forget to check out our insider Lead-Up Lens this weekend tracking the Todman into the Golden Slipper!

Flemington Race 6 – Group 2 $300,000 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m)

No. 7 Leopard Shark

LEOPARD SHARK (12) appeals as an Each Way play in Melbourne’s Sires’ race as the Clayton Douglas-trained Churchill filly prepares to take on the boys chasing a hat-trick.

The bonny young bay was sixth fresh in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview for fillies but quickly improved to win her next two on the trot down in grade.

Broke her maiden status two back over the 1200m at Pakenham as the odds-on fancy by a big margin before going to 1300m at Sandown to narrowly deny Hydrobomb victory carting 58.5kg.

She was excellent the closing stages coming from near the back before cornering for home and made up plenty of ground to charge them all down late.

Back up in grade now and deservingly so, the ease of her Pakenham win suggests she’ll get the seven furlongs without having to stretch too much, and she’ll relish coming back to 55kg at set weights.

First look at Flemington but Jye McNeil sticks with, blinkers go on and she looks up to the task.

I expect her to hold her own against this lot.

Flemington Race 7 – Group 1 $2 million The All-Star Mile (1600m)

No. 4 Evaporate

EVAPORATE (8) feels like the forgotten runner in this year’s All‑Star Mile, and at the odds he’s one of the juiciest roughies going around on the card for mine.

The Lindsay Park-trained Per Incanto four‑year‑old has the talent to blow this wide open, and his form says he’s right up to an upset.

It’s been a little while since his last win — that nail‑biting Sandown Stakes victory last spring — but everything he’s done since has been around the elite: second in the Toorak, third in the Golden Eagle behind Autumn Glow, and third again in the CF Orr behind Jimmysstar.

His autumn return in the Futurity was a beauty, finishing under a length from Pericles, and he’ll only tighten up from that.

The mile is exactly what he wants (5:3‑1‑1), his second‑up stats are rock‑solid (4:2‑1‑0), and while he’s only had one go at Flemington, he’s a class act who can stay in touch with this lot when the pressure goes on.

With the extra furlong in his favour and the race shape likely to suit, he’s absolutely the type who can bob up at a price and shock a few.

Don’t forget to also check out our expert 2026 All-Star Mile Runner-by-Runner Preview!

Randwick Race 7 – Group 2 $500,000 Challenge Stakes (1000m)

No. 9 Marhoona

MARHOONA (8) takes on some good sprinters in the Challenge Stakes second-up and looks great value for a top three finish.

Michael Freedman’s Snitzel filly is out to be the first three-year-old to win since English (2016) and, while knocking Giga Kick off is a tough task, she has the credentials to come close.

The reigning Golden Slipper winner has been sharp over these shorter distances in the past and her 2025 campaign had her matching motors with the likes of Tempted and Wodeton so the form is right.

Fresh she kicked off in the Black Caviar Lightning at HQ and came up against a colt that is shaping up as one of the country’s best sprinters so happy to forgive her sixth-place finish that remained solid as she stuck on with the job off an on-pace run.

Fitter now and back on her Sydney leg with the weight advantage over her older rivals here.

The flying Zac Lloyd rides her in another plus, she is down in grade and can measure up here.

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

No. 7 Decorum

Stellar edition of the Randwick Guineas and I’m on the filly, Sheza Alibi, for the win but one challenger that could prove a danger at double-figures is DECORUM (6) for Michael Freedman.

Nash Rawiller takes the reins coming aboard this consistent Snitzel colt who has won three from four to date including his last two on the bounce.

This is a huge rise in grade after he won back-to-back races at Warwick Farm last month in BM68 and BM72 grade, but he’s proven at the mile having won over the 1600m last time out by a half-length carrying 58.5kg.

Back two kilos now, is flying high and looks set to peak.

Flemington Race 9 – Group 1 $2 million Newmarket Handicap (1200m)

No. 1 Baraqiel

Tentyris looks the one for mine in the Newmarket but at the price BARAQIEL (3) presents as a threat meeting the gun three-year-old with just a half-kilo more on his back.

The Leon Corstens & Will Larkin-trained Snitzel seven-year-old is winless at Flemington from four starts, but he has run in the money here twice so does seem to handle the straight okay.

He’s a genuine 1200m specialist (9:5-1-2) and gets up to his preferred trip now after resuming to cross just 1.6 lengths off Saturday’s favourite in the Group 1 Black Caviar (1000m).

Was excellent first-up, meets Tentyris better in the weights for the rematch and is undefeated second-up.

Moir winner from the spring, blinkers go on and Benny Allen sticks with.

Not his preferred track but good enough to feature.

Randwick Race 9 – Group 1 $750,000 Canterbury Stakes (1300m)

No. 4 Yorkshire

Intriguing edition of the Canterbury and I’ve got the favourite Joliestar on top.

To run a place, however, YORKSHIRE (5) looks a forgotten fancy kicking off from a good gate five draw with Jason Collett booked to partner the consistent Snitzel five-year-old.

The John O’Shea & Tom Charlton-trained galloper has won fresh in the past, loves it at Randwick (4:2-1-1) and the 1300m first-up looks ideal as he boasts an outstanding record at the distance (6:3-1-1).

Atoned for a first-up flop when last (16^th) in Newcastle’s The Hunter to go back-to-back winning the Group 3 Festival Stakes at Rosehill before a half-length win from a wide alley in the Group 2 The Ingham (1600m) at Royal.

Eye-catching trial win over King Of Roseau last month to bring him on, will obviously improve on whatever he does here but I’m happy to keep safe.

Good luck punters!