Horse racing tips: Caulfield best bets for Saturday June 28, 2025
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News Corp form analyst Chris Vernuccio takes a look at the Caulfield meeting on Saturday.
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BEST BET
MANOLO BLING (R2 No.1): Three-year-old filly Manolo Bling needed the run when she was run down late at Sandown against the older horses. She was a month and a half between runs and will take catching here against her own age.
NEXT BEST
THE BLACK CLOUD (R6 No.3): Sydney sprinter The Black Cloud made a pleasing return with a close second at Canterbury and just needs to go on with it now. His last win was a year ago at Flemington but he has been contesting stronger races, including a couple of Group 3s.
VALUE BET
LIM'S SALTORO (R9 No.3): Ex-Hong Kong galloper Lim's Saltoro should be ready now third-up in an open race. He has form around War Machine and Jimmy The Bear, beaten just 1½ lengths behind the latter at Caulfield last time out.
THE JOCKEY
JYE McNEIL
SONOFKIRK (R1 No.4 – $4.80), TREMBLES (R2 No.5 – $4.40), HARRY'S YACHT (R4 No.3 – $5), RAINBOW DELIGHT (R5 No.16 – $8), RAIKOKE (R7 No.6 – $8), DUBLIN JOURNAL (R8 No.11 – $9), RUN HARRY RUN (R9 No.5 – $11).
Originally published as On The Punt: Caulfield best bets for Saturday June 28, 2025
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The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
Horse racing tips: Dubbo preview, best bets and inside mail for Sunday, June 29, 2025
Former Perth galloper Rolled Gold can post his first win at his new home track in Sunday's Dubbo RSL Winter Country Classic Final (1300m). The Paul Clisby-trained gelding's tally of wins currently stands at three. His first coming at start two of his career in a 1300m maiden at Pinjarra. Rolled Gold subsequently made his way to NSW taking up residency at Paul Clisby's Central West stables. • 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! It is from that base that he was able to add two more wins to his total, one each at Gunnedah and Wellington. 'He's been a bit of a hard horse to judge for the simple fact that he's won when he's on the speed and when he's off the speed,'' Clisby said. Rolled Gold's June 6 run in transit was somewhere in the middle, literally, with jockey Siena Grima taking up a favourable spot in fifth among her 10 rivals in a very similar, almost exact replica of Sunday's race. Horse and rider clocked in third, an effort made all the more commendable given he was seven weeks between outings. 'He's been a bit of a hard horse to judge for the simple fact that he's won when he's on the speed and when he's off the speed,'' Clisby told The Sunday Telegraph. Rolled Gold's June 6 run in transit was somewhere in the middle, literally, with jockey Siena Grima taking up a favourable spot in fifth among her 10 rivals in a very similar, almost exact replica of today's race. Horse and rider clocked in third, an effort made all the more commendable given he was seven weeks between outings. 'He missed a couple of runs due to being an emergency,'' Clisby explained. 'When you're expecting to get a run and then miss one and miss another one, it turns your preparation upside down a bit. 'He's come on a bit from the last run. 'These three weeks in between runs has been good for him so we are hoping that he will stand up to his form and run a really good race for us. 'He's getting in well at the weights compared to some of those topweights like Missy Moss so we should see him running a good race.' Rolled Gold will have company in the tie-up stalls from his stablemate Midnight Dream, who is aiming for back-to-back wins when he contests the Dubbo RSL 178 Restaurant Country Boosted Benchmark 66 Handicap (1000m). A son of Your Song, Midnight Dream was nothing less than barnstorming when stunning his rivals with a breathtaking win at Narromine last start. Clisby's charge drew barrier 10 of the 12 runners and had only one other behind him with 400m to go. Midnight Dream was taken to the outside by the aforementioned Grima, picking off those ahead of, and inside of him, at will to score by a widening 1¾ lengths. 'To tell you the honest truth, I don't know what the bookies were thinking,' Clisby said. 'I thought they must have known something I didn't know because I honestly thought he had the best form in the race. 'Not just the best form, but by quite a fair bit, so I was quite happy to get 11-1 about him, it worked well. 'We have found with this horse that he probably isn't a real good back-up horse because he's been devastating when he's fresh. 'He's pulled up a treat from his last run and he's not weighted out of it (on Sunday). 'I think he will run really well.' ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ DUBBO TIPS BEST BET Race 1 No.4: BUSH TELEGRAPH Is one for one at the track and distance. Galloping towards another one. NEXT BEST Race No.4 No. 8: DEEMEE Doesn't win often but is pretty reliable; placed to win here. VALUE BET Race 2 No.8: POIEMA Has provincial form and comes off a lovely trial win. QUADDIE Race 4: 8 Race 5: 3, 9, 12 Race 6: 5, 8 Race 7: 1, 3, 4, 7 JOCKEY TO FOLLOW Apprentice TILLY McCARROLL has some great rides on Sunday. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ DUBBO INSIDE MAIL RACE 1: BENCHMARK 82 HANDICAP (1600m) BUSH TELEGRAPH (4) is one for one at this same track and distance. Scott Singleton brings her back here with a real sense of timing about her. That is to say that she is fourth-up here off a couple of real eye-catchers, closing late each time. REBEL'S EDGE (2) won the Wingham Cup on June 5 then went to Muswellbrook and ran well again in a BM82. Has raced well here before but to be honest, he races well everywhere. The best TOUCH OF NAVY (1) is good enough to win this. Wealthy Investor ought to be respected. BET: BUSH TELEGRAPH to win. RACE 2: COUNTRY BOOSTED MAIDEN HANDICAP (1400m) POEIMA (8) remains winless after 15 starts but she has placed on eight occasions and often in far superior company than what she takes on here. Either one of the last two placings at Gosford and/or Wyong and she's home and hosed. Won a trial at Scone on June 5. Easy to make a case for. CONSIDERED (3) gets the dual advantages of Aaron Bullock and barrier four. Don't like to be too harsh but she's been awfully costly! Todd Howlett-trained galloper EPIC STATEMENT (15) is very well placed indeed at the 1400m. BET: POEIMA to win. RACE 3: BENCHMARK 58 HANDICAP (1300m) MISSY MOSS (2) is a Mack Griffith-trained mare on a hat-trick. Goes without saying, it's hard to knock such an in-form racehorse, especially a last-start track and distance winner who gets Aaron Bullock again. WILLINGA KARISMA (3) clocked in three lengths behind Missy Moss when they met here on June 6. Has a little weight swing her way this time which can't hurt. ROLLED GOLD (7) is building towards another win. Go well. CHOICE DEEL (9) has only won three from 51 but can gives the impression the 1300m will suit. BET: MISSY MOSS to win, quinella 2, 3. RACE 4: BENCHMARK 58 HANDICAP (2200m) DEEMEE (8) can stay and why wouldn't she be able to stick on as a daughter of Preferment with a grand-dam by At Talaq. Speaking of Melbourne Cup winners, Deemee's fifth dam is by Marco Polo, father of 1959 winner – Macdougal. With all that said. Deemee has the form and the fitness to conquer these. Instead is holding her form especially well. Beaten at the picnics last start but drops 14kg! IMAGE OF THE SUN (3) has a good draw (three) and a great jockey (Bullock). BET: DEEMEE to win. RACE 5: SUPER MAIDEN PLATE (1100m) SPRING PROSPECT (12) has raced three times, her two runs this prep are a second at Parkes followed by a half-length third at Warren. You could make the case to argue that this is a weaker maiden than she lined-up in at Warren and as for her debut, it was won by the above-average Torn. HANNAH'S BRIDGE (9) debuts off a lovely trial. She's a half-sister to, and stablemate of, Cheap Gas who goes well. HEFTY PRICE (3) is on a quick back-up and getting ever closer to an elusive win. BET: SPRING PROSPECT to win, HANNAH'S BRIDGE each-way, Daily Double 1st leg 12, 2nd leg 1. RACE 6: COUNTRY BOOSTED BENCHMARK 66 HANDICAP (1000m) ROMANTIC LOVE (8) is a Brett Robb-trained 3YO son of Astern and a rather promising one at that. He created a huge impression when he won by almost five lengths on debut at Warren on November 10. Beaten a lip next time, third after that in a good Class 1 and was spelled. Super trial winner here at home on June 6. MIDNIGHT DREAM (5) came down the middle and right over the top to win that BM58 at Narromine last start – easily. Harder here but almost won a BM66 at Muswellbrook prior to that last start romp. BET: ROMANTIC LOVE to win, exacta 5,8, box trifecta 2, 3, 5, 8. RACE 7: CLASS 1 HANDICAP (1100m) BRUTAL LOVE (1) is trained here at Dubbo by Clint Lundholm whose tally of winners at his home track is 194. As for this 3YO gelding, he has raced seven times for one win, three seconds and a third. He was fourth in the Wellintgon Boot and a huge third in the $200,000 Inglis Challenge immediately after. As for the present day, he was a very pleasing fourth to Elson Boy in a trial here on June 6. PRESSNELL (3) has drawn wide but it might not do him too much harm. BET: BRUTAL LOVE to win, quinella 1, 3. Horse Racing Form analyst Jett Hatton provides his best bets and race-by-race analysis for Dubbo on Sunday. Horse Racing Exciting colt Sonofkirk showed his impressive turn of foot after another sluggish start to score his first win at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
Two-year-old colt Sonofkirk has stable excited for future after ‘phenomenal win' at Caulfield
Sonofkirk narrowly prevailed in the battle of two tribes when he overcame a slow start to score at Caulfield on Saturday. Both Sonofkirk and the runner-up Oyster Lane had hordes of owners supporting their charges in the Vale Snitzel (1000m) in a great advertisement of the egalitarian nature of Australian racehorse ownership. • 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! Sonofkirk was the last to leave the barrier but first past the post as a sharp turn of foot from the 250m enabled the colt to grab Oyster Lane on the line, denying the Ciaron Maher-trained colt a debut win with jockey Jye McNeil aboard. The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Sonofkirk ($4.20) was also slow away before running on strongly to finish third to the promising Miss Ole at Flemington on debut three weeks earlier. Race experience didn't help Sonofkirk's barrier habits but the Freedmans' racing manager Billie Rodda said the son of Caulfield Guineas winner Ole Kirk was able to get himself out of trouble. 'He didn't jump very well again today, the same as he did at his first start down the Flemington straight, but we were just pleased to get a good result,' Rodda said. 'We purely put it down to just rawness and being his first start. 'We came here today in hope that he would jump a little bit better but he didn't. 'But it didn't matter in the end. 'It was a phenomenal win. A super turn of foot so we're very happy.' Sonofkirk was a $65,000 weanling purchase but took his earnings to more than $95,000 in two starts despite his slow starts. Winning jockey Jye McNeil. Picture: Getty Images Rodda said the youngster had the scope to improve with a little more education heading into his spring three-year-old season. 'We'll get him home and see that he's pulled up right but he's obviously a lovely two-year-old to take into the early spring races as an early three-year-old,' Rodda said. 'He may go away now but coming into a three-year-old season, the fact that he's still doing so much wrong gives us the confidence to know that he's a nice horse going forward. 'After doing it a second time today, we may take him home and do a little bit of barrier education work. 'He's got a very sharp turn of foot. So as long as he's producing that late, it's not costing him too much.' The Maher-trained Life After Love made an encouraging debut when belying her $71 starting price to grab third. Life After Love got a long way back but ran on well between horses in the straight to take third ahead of the Lindsay Park-trained Hello Romeo, who was the best of the on-pace runners.
The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
Irish hoop Tom Sherry savours first Australian Group 1 triumph with Tashi in Tatt's Tiara at Eagle Farm
The unique racing journey of Tom Sherry took an incredible twist as he became the latest former Irishman to become a Group 1-winning jockey Down Under. Sherry scored the Group 1 Tatt's Tiara on Peter Snowden-trained mare Tashi to break into the Group 1 club, seven years after arriving in Australia without a job. When Sherry was a teenager in Ireland, he was handed a four-year suspension by racing authorities after he returned a positive in-competition sample to a metabolite of cocaine but the suspension was later slashed. • 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! When Sherry arrived in Australia he had no immediate plans to work in racing, but lobbed at Bjorn Baker's Sydney stables after some time building fences. One thing led to another and he became Mark Newnham's star Sydney apprentice, blazing a trail which culminated in his first Group 1 at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Irish eyes were smiling at Eagle Farm, only seven months after fellow former Irish jockey Robbie Dolan won the Melbourne Cup. Sherry has come a long way since scoring his first career winner in Dundalk, Ireland, in 2017. 'It's crazy, it feels like a little bit of a weight has been lifted off my shoulders,' Sherry said. • What the jockeys said: 2025 Tattersall's Tiara 'Things like this don't really happen to people like me, I'm very grateful. 'I have worked really hard, trying to get to this moment. 'Winning a Group 1 is a big deal for me, for the lad from Ireland. 'It's been a long time coming, trying to win a Group 1, but the stars aligned today. 'We have had a tough year but when stuff like this happens, it makes it all worthwhile. 'Mark Newnham was a massive figure in my life, a father figure, and going from being an apprentice to a senior jockey was a huge thing for me. 'There is a saying that when mares are in form, they keep producing, and that's exactly what has happened this campaign. 'Tashi has always been super consistent.' Tom Sherry kisses the Tatt's Tiara trophy. Picture: Trackside Photography Tashi started at $7.50 in the Tatt's Tiara after being agonisingly close to victories in her previous three races, finishing runner-up in each. But she had the killer punch on Saturday, roaring home over Rob Heathcote's Queensland galloper Abounding ($19) and Chris Waller's mare Olentia ($31). Tony Gollan's well-backed favourite Floozie ($3.20) had her chance but finished fifth, the first time she has been beaten in five runs for Gollan. Snowden was emotional post-race, with Tashi raced by the Altomonte family which had patriarch George Altomonte pass away last year. 'I'm so proud of this mare and also of Tommy Sherry who delivered an absolute peach,' Snowden said. 'I'm thrilled for Tom, he came up here yesterday to get ready for this race so I knew he wouldn't be late today. 'But I think George Altomonte rode this mare from above today.'
