Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for racing at Caulfield on Boxing Day!
We’ve got eight races on a Good 4 track with the rail in the 6m position.
Check out our betting tips for every race on the card below!
CAULFIELD RACING TIPS
Best Bet: Race 6 Amadeus
Next Best Bet: Race 7 Native Soldier
Best Value Bet: Race 4 Lord Tennyson
RACE 1
There’s a big boom on Gina’s Hope after two dominant victories this preparation at Kyneton and Echuca. This is a much harder test than what she faced last start but she ran the fastest final 200m of the day last start and looks more than capable of handling the step up in grade. Barrier 10 at Caulfield with the rail out 6m isn’t going to make it easy for her but she looks a mare on the rise. Twitchy Frank has been good in her two starts back and looks well-placed down in grade third up. Barrier 1 means she’ll get a sweet trip. The slight concern would be her two failures at Caulfield. Amortentia could be one at a bit of value to include. She normally needs her first up run and will be better suited at 1400m but she did work home very well first up last prep at the Valley. Ambitious Gem next best.
RACE 2
Keen to see the return of Langhro here after a lengthy spell. She was absolutely dominant in two starts last preparation, winning by 4L first up and 5.5L second up. She’s had 33 weeks off the track and resumes with 61kg today but if she’s anywhere near her best, she could take plenty of beating here. I expect she’ll look to hold the rail from barrier 3 and keep Star Fall outside her. Star Fall resumed with a good win at Pakenham in fast time and will lead if Langrho doesn’t want to. River House is another that’s returned in great form with two wins from as many starts this time in. He’s going to be coming from the back of the field but there looks enough speed on paper to allow him to come over the top of them late. D Oliver keeps the ride. Steel of Madrid is worth including at big odds first up. Happy to back Langhro at $5.00 with small bets on River House ($6) and Steel of Madrid ($21).
Value: Steel Of Madrid $21
RACE 3
It’s a bit unusual for me to go with a horse that’s never placed first up before but the booking of Damien Oliver on Remember The Name catches the eye and suggests she might eb ready to go at the 1400m today. Oliver and O’Brien have had a good deal of success recently and Ollie jumps off Honey Esprit to ride Remember The Name. While she’s never placed first up, she’s also never run over 1400m first up. All three of her career victories have come over this distance so I’ll take the punt and put her on top. Honey Esprit has been good in her two runs back and gets a big drop in weight from 61kg to 52kg with Steph Thornton going on board. Flying Krupt comes across from Adelaide after two comfortable victories recently. Craig Williams is a notable jockey booking but Phillip Stokes has had just the one winner from 11 starters at Caulfield this season. No surprise to see her win though.
RACE 4
I think there’s a cracking each way bet here in the form of Lord Tennyson at $12 and I’m pretty jealous of anyone that snapped up the $31 it opened at. He comes into this second up and his second up record is outstanding, with two wins and three 2nds from six starts. He had no luck first up at the Valley when he was caught three-wide the trip and he gets Craig Williams booked to ride today, taking over from apprentice Lachlan King. Drawn beautifully in barrier 4 and I think he’ll be right in the finish here. Paremuus Boy is another at each way odds that can run a race. He was okay firs tup at Warrnambool when very heavily backed, but he’s never placed first up from four attempts. His second up record is much more encouraging, as is his record at the 1400m. Drawn awkwardly in barrier 13 but at $19 I’ll have something on. Immaculate Secret has won two from two this prep and should roll forward from barrier 9. She has obvious claims. Indian Thunder is knocking on the door.
RACE 5
Only really two I’m interested in here. Pretty keen on Amadeus who comes off a win at Pakenham where he defeated Mr Money Bags, who then came out on Saturday and won at Flemington. His record at Caulfield isn’t the best but he’s got a great record at the distance and prior to his last start victory, he was racing against the likes of Manuel, Fifty Stars, Iconoclasm and Widgee Turf. That’s great form for a race like this. Barrier 1 and Craig Williams on board, looks very hard to beat, especially with a few queries about some of the others in the race. I’ll be saving on Chippenham who was beaten 1.7L by Amadeus last start. He’ll go forward and give a good sight with the light weight. Ulmann is next best and he might be better suited returning to Caulfield. King’s Command was enormous first up at Flemington on the weekend, running 5th after blowing the start horribly. I was very keen on him that day but I’ll take him on here if he lines up. His record at Caulfield is terrible and his second up record isn’t anywhere near as good as his first up record so you’d have to suggest he’s a big risk on the quick back-up.
RACE 6
This is the lowest Listed race you might ever see. Won’t be betting big here at all but Torgersen looks a pretty obvious top pick for mine. He’s in good form with recent runner-up finishes to Manuel and Beauty Way. If he can repeat those performances he’s surely going to take some beating in this field. So Si Bon has never and will never get my money but if he can’t win this then he’ll never win again. He really gets his chance from barrier 1 against this lot. Balf’s Choice won in Adelaide last start but it was only a field of four and I worry about how that form will turn out. Bondeiger has had some early support, while Craig Williams is booked for Shoreham, who gets the blinkers back on second up.
RACE 7
Very keen on Native Soldier here, who was very solid in the market first up and ran a decent enough race behind stablemate Whispering Brook down the straight at Flemington. I don’t think that’s his go and he should be much better suited around a bend back at Caulfield. He’s a horse that’s on the up and looks hard to beat with Williams in the saddle. George Patton was very well backed at his first Australian start in Sydney but failed badly. He’s had 11 months off since that run and has been gelded. I’d be very cautious with him and would keep a very close eye on the market. Manolo Blahniq might struggle to find daylight from barrier 1 but he resumed with a terrific effort at Pakenham, where he ran the fastest final splits of the entire meeting. Two of his three career wins have been second up and he’s also won at Caulfield before, but he’s going to need plenty of luck and a good ride from barrier 1. Leodoro is in a similar boat. He ran well first up behind TheAnswerMyFriend at Pakenham and he’s won his only start at this track and distance. $31 seems big odds. Platinum Angel was a horror show in Adelaide last time out and with even luck should be able to go close here. Going to take on Runson who failed in the Winterbottom Stakes three weeks ago. Although he gets a big class drop here, the travel must be some query.
RACE 8
Tricky race. Casino Fourteen bounced back from defeat two starts ago to record anther dominant win at Bendigo. Drawn well here and likely to roll forward once again and looks to be hard to beat if he can reproduce his last win. Laure Me In beat Casino Fourteen last start and prior to that ran 2nd to Kazio, who has since come out and run 2nd at Flemington, so obviously that form is solid. Drawn awkward in barrier 12 today so likely going to have to come from well back in the field, but expect him to be hitting the line hard. Sam Slick might be an each way chance at $8.00 and he has already had support in early betting. He won two on the trot, including a win over Kazio, before encountering a bit of trouble last time out behind Amadeus and Mr Money Bags. All of that form is very solid. My concern would be trainer Greg Eurell’s record at Caulfield both this season and the last 12 months, which isn’t good at all. Silentz was huge in defeat last start at Warrnambool but the query is whether he can replicate that in the city today. Chris Caserta isn’t a jockey booking that fills me with confidence. Critical Thinking gets Craig Williams aboard and is undefeated from two starts at the track. He’ll go forward and give them something to chase again. Backing Casino Fourteen ($4.20) with small bets on Sam Slick ($8.00) and Critical Thinking ($10).
Value: Critical Thinking $10
