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Herald Sun
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Horse racing tips: Caulfield betting strategy and quaddie analysis for Monash Stakes meeting
News Corp racing reporter Gilbert Gardiner gives his $200 betting strategy and quaddie analysis for Caulfield on Saturday. Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. News Corp racing reporter Gilbert Gardiner gives his $200 betting strategy and quaddie analysis for the Sir John Monash Stakes meeting at Caulfield on Saturday. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ FOUR-PLAY: $200 BETTING STRATEGY RACE 1: 2YO OPEN FILLIES HANDICAP (1100m) $50 win SIGNATURE SCENT (2) at $2.20 Short enough but could not have been any more impressive on debut Bendigo. Jumped, led and bolted in by more than four lengths. The two-year-old Written Tycoon filly should get every opportunity to repeat the performance from barrier one on Saturday. The Ciaron Maher stable has a high opinion of Signature Scent, endorsed by the booking of jockey Craig Williams. GIN SPIRIT (4) has runs on the board and must be respected – already a Listed winner in Adelaide and runner-up in the Group 3 Ottawa Stakes at Flemington. RACE 3: 3YO OPEN FILLIES HANDICAP (1400m) $50 win ILLYIVY (4) at $4.80/$1.65 Not much separated the talented filly, trained by Ray Besanko, and favourite XARPO (3) last start at Caulfield – less than half a length. Xarpo responded under pressure first-up but Illyivy hit the line strongly in a blanket finish. Illyivy has a 1kg advantage on Xarpo on Saturday at Caulfield. Mindful Xarpo has improvement to come, only second-up, but Illyivy has barely put a hoof wrong in her three starts for the campaign, with a win and two seconds. RACE 7: BENCHMARK 100 HANDICAP (1400m) $25 each-way YELLOW SAM (3) at $6/$2.10 Held over a week after being accepted for the Listed Winter Championship Series Final last Saturday at Flemington. Back to Caulfield where the Lindsey Smith-trained mare saluted last start – a fortnight ago – and while mindful she could be looking for a bit more ground the 1400m Benchmark 100 should be suitable. Apprentice jockey Luke Cartwright has won on the mare before. Yellow Sam has won and placed three times in five starts at Caulfield. Should get a lovely run from barrier five. — 7HorseRacing 🎠(@7horseracing) June 28, 2025 RACE 8: GROUP 3 SIR JOHN MONASH STAKES (1100m) $25 each-way NEW YORK LUSTRE (10) at $9/$2.50 Could be vulnerable first-up against race-fit opposition but the Enver Jusufovic-trained mare has won five of eight starts and placed twice. Earned a shot in stakes grade and this race looks suitable. Sydney raider and favourite IN FLIGHT (6) a definite threat, along with lightly-raced progressive Victorian mare CLEO CAT (9). New York Lustre has drawn to get a nice run from the barrier and could be hard to chase down. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ QUADZILLA LEG 1 - RACE 6 KEEP YOUR COOL (6) found only one better last start, collared in the shadows of the post. Fitter third up and hard to hold out despite a wide draw. VAIL MOUNTAIN (10) hard fit and drawn well. FREAK OF NATURE (2) overraced first up and choked down potentially. Better than what he displayed last start and raced well at Caulfield previously. HE'LL RIP (13) savaged the line last start but just missed. 1ST LEG: 2, 6, 10, 13 LEG 2 - RACE 7 YELLOW SAM (3) finished over the top of her opposition last start at Caulfield and could do so again. Mindful she could be looking for 1600m now but race within her grasp. RUN HARRY RUN (5) will be up in the firing line and close to top fitness wise third-up. THE OPEN (9) has raced consistently all campaign without ultimate success. Gets his chance in a wide open race. Include EL SOLEADO (4) – went super first up at Flemington. 2ND LEG: 3, 4, 5, 9 LEG 3 - RACE 8 NEW YORK LUSTRE (10) has won five of eight starts and placed twice. Earned a crack in stakes' grade and while potentially vulnerable first-up should be around the mark. Progressive mare CLEO CAT (9) has race fitness and form around Caulfield. Respect Sydney raider and favourite IN FLIGHT (6) has the form and quality to win but best form on genuine rain-affected tracks. Getting around Caulfield can be a trick for Sydney horses also, so tread carefully. LIM'S KOSCIUSZKO (1) has won third-up previously and has the quality to win this. 3RD LEG: 1, 6, 9, 10 LEG 4 - RACE 9 AZTEC STATE (5) roared to an impressive victory first-up, after a long break, and while mindful of second-up syndrome the Lindsay Park-trained galloper has plenty of quality about him. Shame about the barrier although could be OK late in the day should the inside deteriorate. HARD TO CROSS (7) would appreciate any cut in the ground, while OUTTA COMPTON (12) is in a rich vein of form – chasing a hat-trick. 4TH LEG: 5, 7, 12 COST $100 FOR 52% SKINNY QUADDIE Start with FREAK OF NATURE (2), KEEP YOUR COOL (6) and HE'LL RIP (13). In the second leg take YELLOW SAM (3) and RUN HARRY RUN (5). Then in the third leg take LIM'S KOSCIUSZKO (1), IN FLIGHT (6) and NEW YORK LUSTRE (10). Come home with AZTEC STATE (5) and HARD TO CROSS (7). FIRST LEG 2, 6, 13 SECOND LEG 3, 5 THIRD LEG 1, 6, 10 FOURTH LEG 5, 7 COST $100 FOR 277% Originally published as Four-Play, Quadzilla: Gilbert Gardiner's $200 betting strategy for Monash Stakes meeting at Caulfield Horse Racing Sydney-based jockey has a busy day in Queensland on Saturday with rides at Doomben and Toowoomba, and she isn't ruling out a move to the Sunshine State in the future. Horse Racing Tiffani Brooker was retired from riding last year but she rediscovered her love for the caper and her special bond with a galloper owned by a great mate has helped.
Courier-Mail
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Yellow Sam charges home to win at Caulfield and earn crack at Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Yellow Sam has earned a shot at the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) next month at Caulfield with a strong win on Saturday. The Lindsey Smith-trained mare finished powerfully under jockey Fred Kersley to overhaul Lim's Saltoro, well-backed favourite The Open and Rheinberg. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'We thought this craziness she'd go to the Bletchingly with no weight,' Smith said. 'We'll throw a few darts and then if she competed well she'd go to the (PB Lawrence).' Yellow Sam rounded the bend with work to do and duly saluted second-up. Yellow Sam won the Golden Topaz at Swan Hill the start prior, first-up from a long break after a health setback last year – a benign tumour in her hind gut. 'It's easier to train fast horses, I've got a few slower ones,' Smith said. 'Courageous horse, has been from the day dot … great will to win, as I've said many times, will maybe outdoes ability sometimes.' Kersley praised Yellow Sam. 'She has got better, she's probably the ultimate racehorse,' Kersley said. 'She's a professional, probably one of the gutsiest horses I've had the pleasure to do anything with. 'Time and time again she's come back, a filly, a mare, and she's held the form.' Earlier on the card, former international Sayedaty Sadaty, trained by Ciaron Maher, opened his Australian account with victory in the 2000m Quality Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday. Sayedaty Sadaty travelled outside leader Amberite and kicked clear in the straight to win third-up after consecutive 1800m placings at Sandown. Unfortunately, the race was marred by separate incidents in the straight. Rolls, trained by Maddie Raymond and Patrick Bell, failed to finish due to a severe leg fracture. Racing Victoria confirmed the gelding was humanely euthanized by on-course veterinarians. Jockey Harry Grace was taken to hospital with a sore hand and some general pain. Dakotah Keane was also dislodged from her mount, King Frankel, in the straight. Thankfully, Keane and King Frankel avoided injury. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Zahra sets sail for big spring Flemington trainer Simon Zahra has spring ambitions exciting Xarpo after the 'beast' responded to challengers at Caulfield on Saturday. Xarpo, expertly handled by apprentice jockey Ryan Houston, found the front early in the straight as favourite Mercurial Lady mounted a case. Xarpo lifted again to hold a margin, while Illyivy bloused Mercurial Lady for second and third. 'They were entitled to beat her,' Zahra said. 'She was a bit underdone, first-up 1200m, most of them had a run under their belt, so it's exciting.' Zahra said Xarpo would get to a mile in the spring. 'She's won over 1400m but I reckon she's a miler, last preparation she just missed the starts, did everything wrong, we got away with that win at Flemington,' Zahra said. 'To see her now compared to what she was six months ago just a different horse.' Xarpo, a rising four-year-old daughter of The Autumn Sun, has won three of six starts to date. 'We gave her a nice prep last time, she wasn't quite furnished and by the end she was starting to switch on,' Zahra said. 'She returned to the stable an absolute beast (after her spell) … we were pretty confident she would come here today and run pretty well. 'There's a bit of spring fortune we want to target … a complete different horse (now), like a big strong mare and she's starting to do everything right.' Zahra deferred spring plans until after Xarpo's next run, potentially at Caulfield in a fortnight or Flemington in three weeks. 'If she can perform well there we'll freshen her up,' Zahra said. Originally published as Yellow Sam charges home to win at Caulfield and earn crack at Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes
