Lucy Henderson, Author at Ladbrokes Blog

Doomben Preview – Saturday, August 16

15 Aug 2025 • Lucy Henderson

The pre-spring racing in Brisbane continues this weekend and we’ve done the form across the card to give our readers the insider Doomben preview and best bets for Saturday! The action moves from Eagle Farm to sister track Doomben for Mekka Raceday where the horses and their hoops could be overshadowed by the tunes for the BRC’s ultimate day party. With headline artists the Thundamentals ripping it up and a bumper nine-race feature programme of top-class thoroughbred action, there’s plenty of reasons to be trackside. For those focusing on the track and not the tracks, we’ve got a current Soft…

Hendo’s Hopefuls: Saturday’s Best Roughies

15 Aug 2025 • Lucy Henderson

Ready to back a bold outsider? Ladbrokes has uncovered the Saturday roughies with real potential to cause a stir this weekend! The spring countdown is well and truly on making for some top racing action around the grounds this weekend including a triple-shot of Group events on the P.B. Lawrence Stakes Day card at Caulfield. We’ve got the inside word on the best value in all three of those Melbourne events, plus a nice-priced tip to win the Listed The Rosebud in Sydney. With four Black-Types and plenty more to come over the next few weeks and months, let’s dive…

The Punters’ Playbook: Moonee Valley Spring Carnival Deep Dive

14 Aug 2025 • Lucy Henderson

Welcome back punters as we continue our regional betting guides for the spring carnival’s key racetracks with Moonee Valley in the spotlight! That’s right, this week we dive into the “Cauldron” taking an expert look at the notorious The Valley course. This intimate, tight-turning track in Melbourne offers a distinct challenge for horses and punters. But never fear, the team at Ladbrokes are here to help you dissect exactly what it takes to win those standout Moonee Valley races including the Ladbrokes Cox Plate worth a record $6 million this October! Mastering Moonee Valley’s unique features is crucial for…

The Spring Prospect Watchlist: A Natural Ready to Go from Lady to Queen

12 Aug 2025 • Lucy Henderson

Lady Shenandoah is a mare with natural ability ready to live up to the spring hype. For the third installment of our Ladbrokes insider Spring Prospect Watchlist we’re shining light on one of the most highly-spruiked gals getting around. We’ve gone over the form of both Tom Kitten and Evaporate, who both look set for massive campaigns, and now it is the ladies’ turn. Chris Waller is a trainer who needs no introduction and he’s known for producing top-shelf mares especially – Winx and Via Sistina most notably. One in the stable who has already bagged herself a trio of…

Hidden Gems: 10 Long Shots to Watch in the Caulfield Cup

8 Aug 2025 • Lucy Henderson

Read on for Ladbrokes Underdog’s Guide to the Caulfield Cup: Long Shot Nominations Worth a Second Look! Early nominations for the 2025 Caulfield Cup dropped this week, and while we might be down on both numbers and the international contingent, there’s still plenty to unpack with that $5 million carrot dangling out there. This week, we’re eyeballing 10 Caulfield Cup hopefuls that punters haven’t seemed to touch since noms came out. Are bookies asleep at the wheel? These ones are getting zero love and might be flying way under the radar. After a ninth at 40/1 behind Without A Fight…

Hendo’s Hopefuls: Saturday’s Best Roughies

7 Aug 2025 • Lucy Henderson

Ready to land a racing upset? Ladbrokes has uncovered another lineup of high-value roughies at good odds to shake up Saturday’s racing! We didn’t hit a bullseye last weekend but have our eye on some standout contenders overlooked by the bookies across the nation this weekend ready to try again, as all good punters do! There’s our juicy Group 2 Missile Stakes Each Way play in Sydney, some value runners at Eagle Farm further north, and a Morphettville Group 3 Behemoth Stakes runner well overs for us – so plenty going on. Ladbrokes’ trusted “Value Whisperer” Lucy Henderson is seeing…

The Spring Prospect Watchlist: The Rising Star with Plenty of Gas

7 Aug 2025 • Lucy Henderson

Evaporate is a dark horse destined to shine for the Hayes boys this spring! We’re back this week with round two of our Ladbrokes exclusive Spring Prospect Watchlist where we put the spotlight on some of the upcoming carnival’s potential Group 1 stars. Last week we looked into the Cox Plate potential of Tom Kitten, and he’s definitely one to watch in the famous Royal Blue silks. Another powerhouse racing operation looking ahead to the majors is Lindsay Park, and one of the rising big names for the Hayes boys is Evaporate. Could this four-year-old be ready to break his…

The Punters’ Playbook: Caulfield Spring Carnival Deep Dive

7 Aug 2025 • Lucy Henderson

Our insider’s betting guide for Australia’s premier racecourses brings us this week to the “Heath” – Caulfield Racecourse! This track, smack bang in Melbourne’s southeast, is famous for its distinctive layout and is the scene of some seriously high-stakes races when the spring rolls around. Caulfield plays a pivotal role in the Spring Racing Carnival hosting its own set of iconic Group 1 races headlined by the opening leg of the Spring Cups’ Double – the Caulfield Cup. This $5 million marathon sees the big guns flex their muscles and try to lock in bragging rights before the main…

Eagle Farm Preview – Saturday, August 9

6 Aug 2025 • Lucy Henderson

Don’t be fooled! The sun may be shining in Brisbane midweek but with rain on the radar our Brisbane race meeting for Saturday could be a wet one – something to keep in mind for our Eagle Farm preview this week. Nine races will be run and won but it is unlikely they’ll be run on the current Good (4) track at time of publish. The rail is out +5m the entire circuit so we can pay a bit more attention to form than barriers. So, let’s see if we can’t find a few value runners in the mix! Having…

The Spring Prospect Watchlist: From Lap Cat to Track Star

31 Jul 2025 • Lucy Henderson

Tom Kitten is on the prowl and looks ready to pounce on the carnival’s riches. Welcome to the inaugural edition of our Spring Prospect Watchlist, where we go beyond the racing headlines to identify the standout horses poised to deliver big come the Spring Racing Carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne. This isn’t just about picking favourites; it’s about scouting for early value in the futures markets, offering our punters unique foresight ahead of the official barrier draws and final acceptances. The Autumn Carnival gave us plenty to chew on, but the true talent often reveals itself in those subtle clues…