Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for racing at Caulfield on Saturday, July 13th.
There's nine races on the card, with the first getting underway at 11.15am AEST. The Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes headlines the meeting.
The track is currently rated a Soft 7 with the rail out 3m. We've previewed every race on the card below!
Caulfield Racing Tips: Saturday, July 13th
Best Bet: Race 5 - (3) Organza
Best Value Bet: Race 9 - (4) Master Shuhood
Good betting race to kick things off. It's a big ask for (1) Can't Be Done today, but all the form around him stacks up really well. The main query is the weight, as he's carrying 59kg and the next closest horse is in with 57.5kg. He won easily on debut at Sale and then ran 2nd to The Astrologist, beaten a nose. The Astrologist then came out and ran 2nd to Rubisaki at Flemington, with Rubisaki since running another big race last weekend (beaten 0.2L). Last start, Can't Be Done beat King Of Hastings, who then came out and won impressively here two weeks ago. So everywhere you look, the form around Can't Be Done is very good. He should jump to the lead and be tough to run down despite the weight. (3) Star Surprise could be a bit of value at $9.50. He ran 2nd to Can't Be Done on debut and then came out and won his next start at Echuca. He gets a 3kg weight swing on Can't Be Done from when they met two starts back, but he does have to overturn a 2.75L margin. (6) Lady Loire bolted in on debut at Wagga, winning by close to 6L. Draws the inside barrier here and should be able to measure up. (7) Avon River was less than two lengths off King Of Hastings first up (who ran 2nd to Can't Be Done prior to that). Craig Williams takes the ride today and I'd expect a good run from her today. (8) Sukoshi is one for SP profile players. She won on debut at Sale and then failed as the well-backed $1.70 favourite at Sandown last start. She pulled up with a slow recovery so if you backed her last start, you might want to have something on again at $6.50 today.
Value: (3) Star Surprise $9.50
Competitive race with plenty of winning hopes. (5) Charlayne goes on top but it's hard to be confident. She won really well first up at Randwick despite pulling up 2/5 lame, and followed that with a good run in defeat at Rosehill last start. She was beaten 1.6L into 5th but she recorded the fastest final 800m of the race after settling well back from the wide barrier. Barrier 1 probably isn't ideal for her here given she tends to get back a bit, but if she can settle midfield and get the right breaks, she should be right in the finish. The winner of the race she ran in last start has since come out and won again so the form in Sydney looks sound. (8) Forbid Me Not has returned in good form with two wins to open her campaign. She should lead this and with a lack of pace in the race, she should get her chance. She carried 60kg to victory first up and then 61kg last start, so the 54kg she carries in this grade today is a significant drop. (4) Miss Vixen doesn't get her head in front often but she rarely runs a bad race. She's another that tends to get back and needs luck but she won't be far off at the finish. (3) Miss Iano came from last to win at this track and distance last start. She can go close again, while (7) Beautiful Flyer has won two straight in Adelaide and should find a position up on speed.
Pretty confident (15) Cryptic Jewel goes close here. She returned from a spell with a convincing win on heavy ground at Geelong in BM64 company. She steps up sharply in grade today to a BM78 but Craig Williams takes the ride and her only previous start at Caulfield was a win second up last preparation. There's a lot of deadwood in this race and this lightly-raced mare looks one of those with improvement still to come. Drawn well and will handle the ground. (1) Laure Me In started favourite first up at Flemington over 1200m but finished closer to last than first. She's better suited second up at 1400m today. From three starts at the distance she's yet to miss the top two. (2) Groundbreak won the race Laure Me In ran in last start. He was first up on that occasion and his second up record is two wins from four starts. He's got a horror barrier draw today but he could still be competitive. (11) Special Diva seemed to turn her form around last start but in truth, she'd been racing without any luck prior to that. She's had excuses in most of her runs this preparation so she's going better than what her form suggests. She goes well at this track and distance so if she gets a bit of luck from barrier 11, I'd expect her to run very well again. (13) Gold Denari is a blowout chance, while (14) King Kabuto is racing well and carries no weight. Likely to be backing Cryptic Jewel, Laure Me In and the value Special Diva.
Value: (11) Special Diva $12
Interested mainly in the top two (1) Smart Elissim and (2) Morrissy. The two met over 1200m at Sandown back on the 15th June, where Morrissy won and Smart Elissim finished 7th, beaten more than 8L. The step up to 1400m here at Caulfield really helped bring out the best of Smart Elissim last start, winning by 2.5L. This is Morrissy's first go at 1400m which is some sort of query, but he's been strong through the line over 1200m so I'd expect him to handle it. The barrier draw favours Smart Elissim as he should be able to get a cozy run just as he did last start, while Morrissy will need a good ride from an awkward barrier (8). Going to stick with Morrissy and save on Smart Elissim.
(3) Organza is becoming a bit costly having placed in her past five runs but she really gets her chance to get another win here. She drops back from harder company, stays at her ideal distance, draws well and gets Craig Williams on board. (9) Like To Think So gets the blinkers back on today after running 2nd over 1200m here last start. He's got a decent record at 1400m but they might run this along at a good clip with (7) Elite Drake drawn inside him in barrier 1. Those two might set it up for something coming from off the pace. (5) Notio won nicely first up at Sandown on heavy ground. He's got a great second up record but he seems to struggle at Caulfield, with just two placings from seven attempts. (2) Ozi Choice could be a blowout chance to include at $34. He always needs his first couple of runs back from a spell but he starts to hit his straps third up with three wins from five starts.
(1) Junipal has struggled to get his head in front but this is his chance. He's had three runs back from a spell now and all have been pretty good form races. The last two have been behind Kolding and Baccarat Baby, each of which would be odds-on if they lined up here. He carries 60kg and draws wide so he'll be right out the back, but he gets the wet ground he needs and should be able to run over the top of them. (3) Tavirun completely turned his form around last start. He was $26 into $13, went straight to the front and never looked like losing. Expect them to ride him the exact same way with little pace in the race. With a 3.5kg weight advantage over Junipal, I suspect they'll try to use that to run him off his legs.
Probably the toughest race of the day. (2) The Golden Halo looks to find a nice race but the main concern for her is the barrier and the speed map. She's going to get a long way back from barrier 12 and it might be tough to make up the ground at Caulfield. With that said, she's in good form and gets the right conditions to suit her. (1) Tell Me didn't get a lot of luck last time out. She drops in the weights and draws nicely in barrier 4. If she gets a crack at them, I think she'll be right in the finish. (9) Gododdin was disappointing last start in Sydney, albeit she had a tough run. I'm going to take her on today. (10) Street Icon is one I could see running well. She's won two of her three career starts and resumes from a spell here. It wouldn't shock me to see her win at double figure odds. (13) Pinyin and (6) Black Bliss aren't hopeless. Wide open race.
Value: (1) Tell Me $8.50 & (10) Street Icon $12
(2) The Golden Halo
$5.50
Another very competitive race. Four horses mainly that I'll be looking at from a betting perspective. (13) Soothing absolutely bolted in first up last preparation. She came to Melbourne later in the campaign and wasn't as dynamic, but I think fresh is best with her. She's had three trials in preparation for this and I reckon they've targeted her at this race a long way out. She'll handle the wet and she's drawn a good gate in 4. She's won three of her four starts when first up and the only little query is whether she's as good going the anti-clockwise direction. (9) Heart Conquered has had very little luck all preparation. He's been caught wide on a number of occasions. He comes down to Melbourne now and he gets conditions he loves. Drawn well in 5 and with even luck, he'll be right in the finish. (4) Ken's Dream is the interesting runner. Formerly with Darren Weir, he makes his debut for Maher and Eustace. He's got a good first up record and an even better record on wet ground. He won a recent trial so if he's fit enough, he would give this a big shake. (3) Bandipur has been sold by Godolphin and picked up by Richard Laming. He's won three of his last four starts. Two of those have been over this track and distance and he's won four from six on soft ground. No surprise to see him continue his good form. Backing Soothing ($4.20), Heart Conquered ($6) and Ken's Dream ($12).
Value: (4) Ken's Dream $12
(4) Master Shuhood won his Australian debut at Mornington back in March and then ran 4th at Sandown before being sent for a spell. He returns here with two trials under the belt and overall, he's got a good first up record (three wins from five starts). Tackles 1700m first up so I'd expect him to be relatively fit and with the good draw, he looms as a decent each way chance. (5) Come On Carl was a big-odds winner at Flemington last start. He's got a good record at this distance and he also goes well on wet ground so for a horse that will put himself on the pace, he's not the worst hope at blowout odds once again. (10) Exasperate was an impressive winner at the midweeks last start, charging home to win over the mile. He steps up in class today but he deserves his crack at Saturday company and he's placed in six of his seven starts this campaign. (9) Shrouded In Mist simply got too far back last start from the wide draw. Since putting the blinkers on she's looked a different mare. Drawn barrier 1 today is a little concern as it means she will need luck but if she gets it, she'll hit the line hard.
Value: (5) Come On Carl $21
(4) Master Shuhood E/W
$10
