Australian Saturday Racing Preview – 13th Feb 2016

There is plenty of stakes racing action in Australia this Saturday with both Melbourne and Sydney getting ready for the upcoming autumn carnivals.

We have major racing at Caulfield with the Blue Diamond Preludes which include some of Australia’s best two-year-olds. Racing in Randwick features the Group 2 Apollo Stakes which sees 2015 Cox Plate winner Winx make its eagerly-awaited resumption.

It looks like one of the best betting days in recent history this Saturday and we’re hoping to lead punters down the right path with our daily Australian horse racing tips!

Multiple Group 1 winner Winx runs in the 5.25am Group 2 Apollo Stakes at Randwick

Caulfield Race 3 – Blue Diamond Prelude Fillies:

Godolphin’s Calliope is considered to be their best Blue Diamond chance this season and it won very easily on debut. The filly by Exceed And Excel won by 1.75 lengths at Randwick and although it found the fast lane in the straight, it looks a filly going places. It has been well backed at 2/1 and it looms as a very strong chance to remain unbeaten.

Sword Of Light has won both career starts and continues to fly under the radar. It bolted in on debut by 5.25 lengths and it put away a good Blue Diamond Prelude field by 1.25 lengths last start. It ran 1000m in 57.5 seconds which is very quick for Caulfield and it’s only negative for this run is the wide barrier draw of 13. It will need some luck, but it looks a value chance at 11/2.

Emphatically has yet to win a race from three starts, but it fought well last start behind Sword Of Light and it hasn’t had the best luck to start its career. It ran third in a listed race two starts back and it raced four wide throughout. It has drawn well and 17/1 looks well over the odds in this.

Caulfield Race 4 – Blue Diamond Prelude Colts and Geldings:

Star Turn is a progressive looking colt which won by three lengths last start. That came on a slow track which is our only concern about this run, but it looks like it will progress through the grades nicely and 6/1 is a good enough price to consider.

Defcon is the current favourite at 18/5 after running a luckless second on debut. The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt got too far back in the running before racing around the field to lead. It understandably got run down late in the race, but take nothing away from that run. It looks the likely front runner in this and should be tough to beat.

Caulfield Race 6 – Autumn Stakes:

The Darren Weir-trained Mahuta stands out in this field having won five consecutive races with two coming at group level. The talented colt has been beating very good horses in easy fashion and drawing barrier one is perfect. It likes to dictate play from in front and getting past it in the straight has proved impossible this season. It will be very tough to beat at 2/1 in the betting.

The biggest danger to the favourite is Holler at 11/5. The John O’Shea-trained colt is coming off two impressive wins, including a 4.25-length win at group 3 level. It did get defeated by Mahuta last campaign, but has looked to come back stronger than ever. This race should become a match-race between these two runners.

Caulfield Race 7 – C.F Orr Stakes:

A big field for the $500,000 feature where New Zealand runner Turn Me Loose looks a good winning chance. The Murray Baker-trained horse has won three straight and it won the Group 1 Emirates Stakes at Flemington last time out. It’s fresh up for this where it has placed twice from three starts, and the trainer is confident it will resume with a nice run. Most of the field are resuming from spells so that shouldn’t count against it. 17/5 in the betting currently.

Lucky Hussler is on the same line as Turn Me Loose after winning well at the Gold Coast last start. The former group 1 winner is an enigmatic runner which has plenty of ability, but lets punters down on occasion. We can’t entirely trust it even though it won for us last start, but it has a winning chance in this.

Hucklebuck very rarely gets out to 17/1 odds, but that’s what punters can get here. It ran well for fourth last start and it needs a good pace set up in front to show its best. There looks to be plenty of pace in the race with Turn Me Loose likely to go forward, so that could set up Hucklebuck to finish over the top of them. Looks a good value chance.

Randwick Race 3 – Light Fingers Stakes:

Plenty of good form in this race which includes the unbeaten Ghisoni. The Godolphin runner is looking to make it three-from-three after two impressive victories to date. It’s paying a better price than we would have thought at 27/10 so that makes it a good value pick in our eyes.

Kangarilla Joy has found some form by winning its last two, but this is another big step up in class. Its last win came on a slow track and conditions are meant to be dry, so that form might be a touch misleading. Hugh Bowman takes the ride which is a positive, but we couldn’t take the 27/10 currently being offered. A better price and we might bite.

Randwick Race 7 – Apollo Stakes:

The return of Winx has Randwick buzzing as everyone likes to watch a champion. The Cox Plate and multiple group 1 winner returns for its autumn campaign and it’s a very short-priced favourite to win. Winx is paying 1/2 to take out the main event of the day and many punters have latched on to that short price. It has the obvious class edge on this field and trainer Chris Waller was confident. Looks a good bet if you can take those skinny odds.

Solicit is a danger as it can go forward and dictate play from in front. The Gerald Ryan-trained mare doesn’t have any form on the track which concerns Ryan, but it ran well for second last start and seeing as Winx comes from behind, it could kick hard in the straight and give them something to catch. Worth the risk at 5/1 as a saver if Winx gets beaten.