Saturday’s Best Bets: Caulfield, Randwick, Eagle Farm

CRUISERWEIGHT (2) looks hard to knock as he chases a fourth win from as many starts making him one of the best bets to place this Saturday.

The unbeaten three-year-old gelding bolted in by 5.8 lengths in New Zealand in December before being transferred to the Hayes stable.

He resumed at Swan Hill two starts ago and found the line powerfully to win, then backed it up over this course and distance last start when storming home to score by a length, with third nearly four lengths away.

Craig Williams sticks with the promising gelding and should give him every chance to keep the picket fence intact.

ROSE WATER (14) looks a nice each-way play in an open Midway Handicap paying $18 at time of publish.

The Jason Deamer-trained mare arrives in winning form, having strung together back-to-back victories, and she gets into this race with just 53kg.

The rise in grade is the obvious query, but she maps to get a kinder run than a few of her key rivals from barrier 5, and Rachel King should be able to have her close enough in transit.

She’ll need to measure up, but with the right run and no weight on her back, we’re getting a price to find out.

MIRAVAL ROSE (8) returned in great order last start when finishing just over a half-length fourth in the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes.

The Grahame Begg-trained mare was uncustomarily taken back from the wide gate and that proved costly, but she lost no admirers with the way she attacked the line.

She’ll take improvement from that run and there’s a clear second-up tick, having won The Taggart over this course and distance at the same stage last preparation.

Jordan Childs has built a strong association with her, and from the low draw, he can roll forward and give her every chance to return to winning form.

• Top 3 – No. 4 Chillaxing
• Top 3 – No. 5 Lennox
• Top 5 – No. 6 Marenaro

There’s a clear form reference to work with in Eagle Farm Race 5, with CHILLAXING (4), LENNOX (5) and MARENARO (6) all coming through the same last start race at Doomben over 2000m.

CHILLAXING (4) won that race and looks suited getting to 2200m given how strong through the line he was, while LENNOX (5) stuck on well for second after racing on speed and working early.

MARENARO (6) was doing his best work late to finish third there and gets the services of Gary ‘5G’ Geran, who piloted him to victory two starts ago, making the top-five play a nice way to round out the Same Race Multi.

ESHA (1) resumes in Queensland with an ideal opportunity to make an immediate impression at Eagle Farm.

The talented daughter of Extreme Choice hasn’t been seen since February, but she quickly announced herself as a filly of real ability last year before testing herself against elite company, including the Group 1 Moir Stakes at The Valley.

Although those assignments came a little early in her development, her connections have taken a patient approach, transferring her to the Tony Gollan stable ahead of this preparation.

She has looked outstanding in recent trials, appears primed to make a winning Brisbane debut, and definitely a proper best bets contenders.

One of the day’s most competitive races looks a perfect opportunity to side with JIMMY THE BEAR (3) at an appealing each-way price.

The Patrick Payne-trained gelding has been a model of consistency over several seasons and further enhanced his record with a determined victory over this course and distance when second-up in May.

That success improved his outstanding Caulfield 1600m record to four wins from seven starts, confirming it as his favourite setup.

Now at peak fitness, aided by a favourable draw and a handy drop in the weights, he shapes as one of the better value plays of the day.

MIRAVAL ROSE (2) looks ideally placed to make her presence felt in this year’s Bletchingly Stakes field.

The Blazer Stakes winner returned with an encouraging first-up performance a fortnight ago, settling midfield before finishing off strongly to claim fourth in the Sir John Monash Stakes at this track.

She has a strong record of improving with a run under her belt, the slight rise in distance is another positive, and from a favourable low draw, she should enjoy every opportunity to be right in the finish.

• Top 2: No. 1 Moon Sweeper 
• Top 2: No. 8 Maples 
• Top 4: No. 3 Michelangelo 

This shapes as a race in two between MOON SWEEPER (14) and MAPLES (5), in my opinion, and a perfect opportunity for a Same Race Multi.

Moon Sweeper has been a strong and consistent performer in races not dissimilar to this one, this time in, while Maples faces a rise in class, but also puts an unbeaten record on the line.

With those two horses selected to finish in the Top 2, we’re also going to include MICHELANGELO (7) on a Top 4 basis, who has been freshened since finishing midfield in the Group 1 Queensland Derby in May.

PERFECT JUSTICE (8) isn’t favourite in the sixth at Randwick but he’s my best of the day at an attractive price currently paying $5.50 at time of publish.

John Sargent’s consistent Justify four-year-old is on the up-and-up coming into this BM78 in flying form.

He’s been working his way through the Midway races here at Randwick all winter with back-to-back seconds in June before finding the line first on July 11 in a BM72.

Carting 56kg he put 0.43 lengths on The Mona Lisa, who beat him home the start prior, in an eye-catching run when going right round them to get the chocolates in the final few strides.

Comes in confident off that deserving victory over the mile on a Heavy (9) track, is rock-hard fit and can go on with it now.

Up in distance and grade again, he’ll benefit once more from the claim of Siena Grima who sticks in the saddle and has been riding him a treat.

With the weight relief I think he’ll see out the extra furlong and can go back-to-back.

Sticking in Sydney for my value Saturday racing tip and have the talented EVICTION NOTICE (8) as a genuine each-way play paying $12 at time of publish.

Hailing from the powerhouse Waterhouse/Bott stable, the Stay Inside two-year-old remains a maiden from five starts but isn’t out of contention to get his first win on the board at a blowout price here.

Was competitive during his summer/autumn campaign in tougher races including placings in the Group 3 Canonbury (3^rd to Hidrix) and Group 2 Silver Slipper (2^nd to Stretan Ruler) when paying 25/1 in the latter.

Resumed a fortnight ago at Warwick Farm in a 2YO C&G Maiden running second to Castillo King and, while he was well-beaten over three lengths from the winner fading late, I think he screams improvement presenting fitter for the run.

Adam Hyeronimus comes aboard and yes, this guy gives the weight away to his rivals, but his Silver Slipper second came at the same stage of a prep last time in.

Expected to hit the lead and I think he can hold on for at least a podium finish making him one of the day’s standout best racing bets at the price.

COSMIC CRUSADER (1) sits top of the markets and is firming fast for a winning return and Melbourne debut for his new trainer Andrea Leek.

One of the big winners in the Bletchingly Stakes barrier draw coming up with the inside alley, the five-year-old Maurice gelding was the picture of consistency in WA last prep going from strength-to-strength.

Hit a career peak with a narrow win over the Railway Stakes champ Watch Me Rock in the Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) at Ascot, and that alone puts him on top for mine and narrowly against the mare Shep and Timms are tipping in this week’s feature (who I’m also wary of)!

Dropped back in distance at his latest on the quick back-up when flashing late to finish a narrow runner-up to class sprinter Rey Magnerio and nudging out Overpass in the Group 3 The Gold Rush.

Races for the first time since on Saturday, and the $1.5 million earner boasts an excellent first-up strike rate (5:3-0-0).

Despite being proven over further, he is two-from-three over the 1200m distance of Saturday’s event, and off the lengthy let-up I don’t think he’ll find the six furlongs too sharp.

Deserves a shot against these here, trialled well in a recent Caulfield jumpout to show he’s not gone backwards in the past seven months, oozes class and gets a very suitable Soft track.

Don’t forget to check out my full 2026 Bletchingly Stakes Tips & Predictions!

• Top 2 – No. 5 Ice Kool
• Top 3 – No. 12 Big Red Tequila
• Top 5 – No. 2 Torque To Be Sure

After a quick detour south for the Bletchingly, I return to Sydney for my SRM selection of the week finding a few with genuine claims in the penultimate event at Randwick.

ICE KOOL (9) is the short-priced favourite and deservingly so up in grade and distance. The David Pfieffer-trained Zoustar gelding has won four from five to date building a nice little record. Chases a Randwick hat-trick having gone back-to-back here last month in BM78s over 1000m, firstly by 2.3 lengths before rising up to a hefty 60kg to deny Petticoat by a half-length as the odds-on fancy in sharp time. Kept ticking over with a winning Rosehill trial this month which he blitzed by over eight lengths. Unbeaten at the track, will relish the give out of the ground and has shown us he’s capable of a really polished performance with Jay Ford aboard again.

BIG RED TEQUILA (6) from the Joe Pride stables has delivered for me a couple of times already this year and I’m happy to stick with the talented Shamus Award mare for another good run. The bonny bay is winless from three starts here but is a dual Randwick placegetter and a gun over this quick trip (7:3-0-2). Comes via a strong win against her own kind at Rosehill at the start of the month with 60.5kg on her back. Should be airborne back to 56kg, drawn a dream, firing on all cylinders now and will relish the hot speed here.

TORQUE TO BE SURE (16) is drawn wide out but the money is coming for Matthew Dunn’s early market mover first-up. The Shamus Award three-year-old carts plenty of weight and may have just one win to his name from 11 starts, but he’s amassed nearly $2 million in prize money as that victory came last start in the $3 million Magic Millions Guineas at the Gold Coast in January at a blowout price. Resumes off a lengthy spell but has trialled well of late including a winning Gold Coast hit-out a fortnight back suggesting he’s ready to pick up where he left off. He’ll be better over further, but from three 1100m runs he’s finished second every time. Jockey Aaron Bullock is flying. Keeping safe.