Hendo’s Hopefuls: Saturday’s Best Roughies

Hunting for the best Saturday roughies? Ladbrokes have dug through the fields and found the value plays worth a cheeky look.

The autumn racing action in Sydney goes to another level this weekend with a stacked Rosehill Golden Slipper Day card featuring five – yep, a whole handful – of Group 1 races.

There may be plenty of odds-on fancies getting around including the undefeated Autumn Glow, but the fields are full of better priced hopes set to peak with some upsets pending!  

Add in the Ladbrokes William Reid Stakes further south and we’ve got six Group 1 features to find the long-shot contenders in.

Our Value Whisperer, Lucy Henderson, has gone searching for value so you don’t have to — here are her top under‑the‑radar finds for Saturday’s Group 1 racing.

Rosehill Race 5 – Group 1 $1 million Ranvet Stakes (2000m)

No. 5 Stefi Magnetica – Scratched

Rosehill Race 6 – Group 1 $750,000 Rosehill Guineas (2000m)

No. 6 Federalist

The Rosehill Guineas is tipped to be a two-horse battle between Autumn Boy and Observer, but one I don’t mind for the exotics is the rails-drawn FEDERALIST (1) third-up for Team Hawkes.

The progressive I Am Invincible gelding is still a maiden after eight starts, but he’s finally starting to put the pieces together.

His run here last weekend was easily his best yet — finishing second to Sixties in the Phar Lap Stakes — and he’s backing up quickly.

If he holds that form, he’s right in the mix for the minors.

Rosehill Race 7 – Group 1 $1 million George Ryder Stakes (1500m)

No. 3 Evaporate

While I think Autumn Glow will make it 11 on the trot and remain undefeated when she starts odds-on in the George Ryer, EVAPORATE (3) is one that appeals for an each way play looking overs at 20/1 for the win at time of publish.

The Lindsay Park-trained Per Incanto four-year-old doesn’t know how to run a bad race and looks more than up to a top three run at a price here.

While he hasn’t won since the Group 3 Sandown Stakes over this 1500m distance fresh in Melbourne last September, he’s been right up to the mark in everything since matching motors with the best in the biz.

He was only 1.64 off Autumn Glow in the $10 million Golden Eagle during the spring before heading south to round out the CF Orr trifecta at Caulfield behind Jimmysstar, and those are some superior form lines.

Third-up and fit in Sydney on the weekend, Evaporate comes via two good runs in Melbourne when fourth under a length off Pericles in a blanket finish in the Futurity and then second to Tom Kitten when underrated at double-figures in the All-Star Mile at HQ on March 7.

Handles the other way of racing just fine and, while he’s untested at the Rosehill track, he’s done enough to suggest he can outrun his price again.

His All-Star Mile hoop Luke Currie retains the ride and barrier three looks spot on.

Think he’ll settle off the pace this time and can give a few of these a challenge late.

Caulfield Race 8 – Group 1 $1 million Ladbrokes William Reid Stakes (1200m)

No. 3 Rey Magnerio

REY MAGNERIO (7) gets his autumn underway in Melbourne on Saturday and, while the likes of Jimmysstar and Jigsaw could be hard to knock off for first place, this super consistent sprinter is a genuine Top 4 hope.

The Robbie Griffiths-trained Magnus six-year-old has a terrific strike-rate at the track (9:3-1-3) and races at Caulfield for the first time since his Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1000m) win here last October.

He went across to Perth for the summer and enjoyed the West Coast spoils with a Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes third by a narrow margin before getting up in the Group 3 Gold Rush (1400m) in mid-December.

His hoop in Perth, the ‘Wizard of the West’ Willie Pike, is in Victoria and has the ride in another huge tick.

The six furlongs first-up is ideal and he’s a flyer fresh with three wins and a third from his four previous first-up assignments, and his lead-up trials at Cranbourne have shown promise.

He’s a quality horse, has options from the midfield draw and won’t be disgraced in this line-up.

Rosehill Race 8 – Group 1 $5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m)

No. 6 Stretan Ruler

STRETAN RULER (13) lines-up as one of the value Slipper fancies for exotics and looks well overlooked in the markets.

The Phillip Stokes-trained Wild Ruler colt is one of the better tried in the field with Saturday marking his fifth starts.

His sole win came here at Rosehill two back in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) when beating home Eviction Notice by nearly four lengths in an absolute demolition job.

Failed to go back-to-back in the Todman running second when up in distance but he returns to a track he’s proven at now fit and ready to atone.

The Todman replay shows just how good he was late when getting through the gears to dig deep the closing stages.

Should avoid the jostle from the alley and will be there when it counts again.

Keep safe.

CLICK HERE FOR MY COMPLETE 2026 GOLDEN SLIPPER RUNNER-BY-RUNNER PREVIEW

Rosehill Race 9 – Group 1 $1 million The Galaxy (1100m)

No. 5 Reserve Bank (Each Way)

The Galaxy always throws up a big finish, and RESERVE BANK (5) looks the one most likely to give the favourite a scare.

While he’s not an outright roughie sitting around $8 at time of publish, but he still shapes up as a cracking Each Way play with the right form, draw, and set‑up to fire fresh.

He was outstanding last spring, reeling off a hat‑trick before taking out The Goodwood in Adelaide — proper Group 1 sprinter stuff.

His Rosehill trial earlier this month was sharp, and his 1100m stats (3:2‑1‑0) are exactly what you want for a race like this.

Barrier two is perfect.

He’ll park just behind the speed, peel out when it matters, and let that turn of foot do the rest.

If he gets the breaks, he’s absolutely good enough to blow this open late.

A live chance at a juicy price.

Happy punting!