Saturday Roughie Tips – October 17, 2026
Looking for Saturday’s best roughie tips? Ladbrokes are here with the top value racing outsiders to shake up Caulfield Cup Day and The Everest card!
This weekend is undoubtedly one of the biggest of the year for racing fans with 10 races to be run and won at Caulfield on Cup Day including, obviously, the opening leg of the Spring Cups double while further north the 10th edition of the world’s richest turf race steals the show in Sydney.
We’ve got Ka Ying Rising odds-on in The Everest betting to go back-to-back, but the Caulfield Cup field is a more open affair with plenty of intrigue around the internationals and lightweight hopes taking on the favourite Cosmic Crusader and last year’s champ Half Yours.
With cracking support acts, huge prize money, bragging rights and top-line form lead-ups to bigger events over the coming weeks, there’s value galore to be had.
Ladbrokes’ Value Whisperer Lucy Henderson capitalizes on the forgotten fancies and has her Top 5 Saturday roughies to get behind right here!
What are the Best Value Racing Tips for October 17?
- Randwick Race 6 – No. 10 Wanaruah
- Caulfield Race 7 – No. 5 Icelady
- Randwick Race 7 – No. 12 Blue Door
- Caulfield Race 9 – No. 4 Kingswood
- Randwick Race 9 – No. 3 Just Folk
Randwick Race 6 – Track Specialist Set to Peak
No. 10 Wanaruah
It’s a wide-open and cracking line-up for The Everest consolation prize, but at 20/1 at time of publish in Sydney Stakes betting, the Brett & Georgie Cavanogh-trained WANARUAH (10) up in grade has huge each way appeal for mine.
The ultra-consistent Snitzel entire is a Randwick specialist with three wins from four starts at the track, and the 1200m is right within his abilities has he’s claimed two of his three six-furlong assignments to date.
Back in June he put nearly a length on General Salute here in the Listed Bob Charley (1100m) before things went amiss for him fresh in the Group 2 Concorde Stakes.
Lacking fitness and taking on a super mare in Tempted, he had to do too much work from the outside alley (12) crossing last seven lengths off the winner who is now the key danger to Ka Ying Rising for the second year running in Saturday’s $20 million feature.
Wanaruah meanwhile bounced back quickly adding to his flawless second-up record with a BM94 win over the track and trip he sticks to on Saturday carting 59.5kg to a photo-thriller win at big odds on Epsom Day.
Back to 58.5kg the WFA conditions suit as does the wet track which he’s proven on.
Love McEvoy coming back aboard, he’s going well, presents fit and will go forward from the midfield gate to sit on pace and can stick with the task as a forgotten chance.
| 10. Wanaruah (10)SCRATCHED: | |||
Caulfield Race 7 – Don’t Freeze This Filly Out
No. 5 Icelady
I’m happy to roll the dice with ICELADY (10) at double-figure Thousand Guineas odds as a nice Each Way Play.
Plenty of punters will gravitate towards the headline acts, but this daughter of Maurice looks capable of giving them something to think about after securing a tough win in the Thousand Guineas Prelude last start.
Sure, the history books aren’t exactly waving the green flag. Very few fillies have managed to complete the Prelude-Thousand Guineas double in recent years, but stats are made to be broken, and this Maurice filly appears to be peaking at the right time.
She was runner-up in her three lead-ups prior to that before knocking off a quality field, including Saintly Dancer, with plenty left in the tank.
The biggest tick for me is the map. Ethan Brown can use her natural speed to either lead or sit right on the pace, and that’s never a bad place to be in a race where several of her rivals will be relying on luck from back in the field.
Third-up, fit, in form, and from the powerhouse Maher yard, Icelady looks the type of filly that can give roughie backers a serious sight.
| 5. Icelady (9) 56kg22×21 |
Randwick Race 7 – Knocking on The Everest Favourites’ Heels
No. 12 Blue Door
Outside of the dominant duo in The Everest markets are a host of excellent sprinters and livewire place chances, but ultimately to fill the minors I’ve landed on the gun young filly and sole 3YO in the mix, BLUE DOOR (9).
Bjorn Baker’s untapped daughter of Stay Inside faces an acid test now thrown in the deep end for her maiden Group 1 assignment at just her fifth start, but she’s already shown glimpses of brilliance and gets her chance to put her hand up now as a sprint star in the making.
We all saw what Tempted did as a filly in this race last year and, while she brought in more experience than Blue Door, I don’t think this one should be underestimated.
Beat home The Next Episode here on debut back in April at Group 3 level, then came out firing for back-to-back seconds against the boys first and second-up this prep in The Rosebud and San Domenico respectively.
Got back in winning form with a very speedy effort to claim the Group 3 Heritage Stakes (1100m) by 2.2 lengths at Rosehill on September 26 which earned her The Everest slot.
The raw speed and blistering sectionals she produced were huge, and she was simply too fast and too good.
Gets in here on a postage stamp weight of just 51kg, and she’ll be airborne with that.
A jockey change see’s last year’s historic Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup double winning hoop Jamie Melham comes aboard after she turned down the ride on Half Yours in Melbourne as he defends his title in the opening leg of the Spring Cups double – and that’s a telling sign.
She’ll be up there fighting for the lead with Ka Ying and oozes X-Factor.
Has been forgotten in the markets against a better tested and more experienced line-up, but at $27 (at time of publish) and with that big weight drop she’s worth including in The Everest exotics.
| 12. Blue Door (9) 51kg1×221 |
Caulfield Race 9 – Knock on Wood
No. 4 Kingswood
I’ve got a sneaky feeling KINGSWOOD (20) might be the horse to give the Caulfield Cup favourites a run for their money at juicy odds.
The seven-year-old Roaring Lion grey probably doesn’t attract the same fanfare as the horses at the top of betting, but he’s been quietly ticking all the right boxes this spring. His last two runs at Group 1 level have been full of merit, sticking on gamely in both the Underwood Stakes and Might And Power for back-to-back fourths when over-racing in the former and then showing improvement in the latter ahead of his step-up to the 2400m now.
What caught my eye is the way he’s been finding the line, and jockey John Allen was full of confidence after last week’s run over 2000m.
He’s looked like a horse crying out for the mile and a half, and the Caulfield Cup finally gives him the chance to show what he can do over a genuine staying trip.
The quick turnaround from last weekend only adds to the appeal. He’s rock-hard fit, racing consistently, and looks ready to produce a peak performance when it matters most.
The awkward draw certainly doesn’t do his supporters any favours, but if he can find cover and work into the race, he’ll be one of the runners charging late while others are waving the white flag. At around the $20 mark, he’s exactly the sort of horse that can blow up the Caulfield Cup exotics.
The map is ugly, but the lead-up form is better than it reads, the extra trip suits, and he looks a genuine knockout chance at any old price.
| 4. Kingswood (17) 55kg5×144 |
Randwick Race 9 – Just Maybe
No. 3 Just Folk
He’s one of the rank outsiders taking on the champion mare Autumn Glow in the King Charles III Stakes, but I’m wary of totally dismissing old marvel JUST FOLK (3) at cricket-score odds.
The 10-year-old might not be winning out of turn these days, but he’s been racing far better than his quote suggests.
The Gavin Bedggood-trained veteran has been remarkably consistent this preparation, finishing in the top three at each of his past five starts and proving there’s still plenty of fight left in the old boy.
His latest effort was particularly encouraging when he chased home a smart winner in the Paris Lane Stakes at Flemington after another strong runner-up finish in the Heatherlie Stakes one run prior behind Caulfield Cup contender Kingswood.
The return to a mile looks ideal, and from a favourable draw three he’s expected to roll forward and park himself right on the speed.
He and jockey Jamie Mott could easily be left alone in front and give backers a huge sight turning for home.
Winning might be a bridge too far against this calibre of opposition, but at the price he looks massively overs to run a race and sneak into the placings.
The addition of blinkers adds another layer of interest, and if the old warrior gets conditions to suit, don’t be surprised to see him hanging around much longer than the market expects.
Flying under the radar in a compact but elite field of class middle-distance starts, Just Folk maps to get every chance on speed, and looks capable of pinching a minor placing at enormous odds.
| 3. Just Folk (3) 59kg32322 |
Saturday Racing Previews
- Caulfield Cup Day
- The Everest Day (Randwick)
- Doomben
Good luck punters!