Saturday, 18 April 2026
No more jumps at this meeting today.
Punty's Punts
Race type: Midway (Bm72), 1400m
Map & tempo: Genuine pace, with Danish Prince likely to roll along and set it up for the right stalkers
Punty read: This is a proper 1400m sniff test. Danish Prince leads, Audrey's Lane is the one the market has started to sniff at, and Cosmeena from barrier 3 gets the map many of the others would kill for. Annie's Rose has the gear tweak, but she's been as popular as a wet sock with the market and still has to prove she's not just there to make up numbers. Pleasant Artist and Dusty Bay can run on if the speed folds, but you wouldn't want to be betting your house on a miracle.
Top 3 + Roughie ($15.00 pool)
1. Danish Prince (No.10) — $15.00 / $3.70 🏆 6TH
Bet Tracked
Prob 18.7% | Place: 39.9% | Value: 3.03x
Why He's the map horse and can dictate terms, but at this price Punty's not stabbing at the nose; he can run a big one without being the one to spear the wallet.
2. Cosmeena (No.9) — $17.50 / $3.80 🏆 8TH
Bet $15.00 Each Way ($7.50W + $7.50P) — ✗ Lost, net -$15.00
Prob 16.2% | Place: 36.0% | Value: 3.07x
Why Draws well, gets the right run, and the light weight makes her the sort of filly who can sit there and pounce when the pace cooker does its thing.
3. Annie's Rose (No.8) — $5.05 / $1.85 🏆 10TH
Bet Tracked
Prob 15.4% | Place: 34.8% | Value: 0.85x
Why The bar plates could give her a bit of extra sting, but she's been overbet and this is not the sort of price Punty wants to die on.
Roughie: Dusty Bay (No.12) — $15.75 / $3.70 🏆 2ND
Bet Tracked
Prob 11.8% | Place: 28.0% | Value: 2.02x
Why If the speed gets ugly and the leaders overdo it, this backmarker is the one who can swoop late and make the tote boys sweat.
Race type: TAB Highway Hcp (C3), 1400m
Map & tempo: Moderate pace with Micro Mikki and Bonnie Murringo disadvantaged by the map, while the market has been throwing money at the wrong and right ends in equal measure
Punty read: This is one of those Highway jobs where the form line looks neat until the barriers and tempo blow it to bits. Occult has been absolutely hammered in and the stable clearly means business, while Red Rags To Bulls has also had the old "money talks" treatment. Cruizingthestars is the sharp-end horse if you want the obvious speed story, but the wide gate on some of these makes this a race where traffic could matter more than a karaoke night in a crowded pub.
Top 3 + Roughie ($25.00 pool)
1. Cruizingthestars (No.12) — $8.75 / $2.80 🏆 4TH
Bet Tracked
Prob 16.7% | Place: 38.5% | Value: 1.58x
Why The form says he knows how to win, and if he gets a clean run on the speed he's the one they all have to drag back in.
2. Red Rags To Bulls (No.11) — $8.40 / $2.60 🏆 7TH
Bet $17.50 Each Way ($8.75W + $8.75P) — ✗ Lost, net -$17.50
Prob 15.0% | Place: 35.5% | Value: 1.36x
Why Massive market support and the class profile says the money isn't just for show; if he lands anywhere near the right spot, he's right in the fight.
3. Occult (No.3) — $6.70 / $2.25 🏆 2ND
Bet $7.50 Each Way ($3.75W + $3.75P) — ✓ Won, net +$0.75
Prob 13.7% | Place: 33.0% | Value: 0.99x
Why Blinkers off, winkers on, and the gelding's got the right draw to avoid the chaos. He's the sort who can sit in the pocket and go bang if the tempo plays fair.
Roughie: Andale Andale (No.13) — $18.50 / $4.40 🏆 9TH
Bet Tracked
Prob 11.0% | Place: 27.6% | Value: 2.20x
Why He's been put to the sword in the market, but if the race turns into a messy drag race and the leaders wobble, he can bob up late and ruin the party.
Race type: Catanach's Jewellers (Bm88), 1200m
Map & tempo: Genuine pace, with Stay Focused likely to be the one making the first move and the others trying not to get caught asleep
Punty read: This is a proper straight-up sprint scrap. Stay Focused is the one with the map edge and the race-fitness glow, while Scintilla is the honest old knife-fighter who's been running in the right races and keeps finding the line. Asgarda has the gear flip, the market pressure, and the sort of profile that makes you sit up and pay attention. Bandi's Boy and Gallant Star are the ones who can spice it up if the tempo goes pear-shaped, but it's the top trio that carries the confidence.
Top 3 + Roughie ($25.00 pool)
1. Stay Focused (No.9) — $6.60 / $2.60 🏆 8TH
Bet $10.50 Each Way ($5.25W + $5.25P) — ✗ Lost, net -$10.50
Prob 19.5% | Place: 37.8% | Value: 1.62x
Why He's got the right draw, the right map, and the right sort of tempo to sit in the sweet spot and get every possible chance.
2. Scintilla (No.16) — $5.40 / $2.25 🏆 6TH
Bet $12.00 Each Way ($6.00W + $6.00P) — ✗ Lost, net -$12.00
Prob 17.4% | Place: 34.9% | Value: 1.18x
Why Honest as the day is long, and the combination of fitness, pattern, and race hardness says she'll be right there when the whips are out.
3. Asgarda (No.10) — $22.00 / $5.00 🏆 7TH
Bet $2.50 Each Way ($1.25W + $1.25P) — ✗ Lost, net -$2.50
Prob 13.2% | Place: 28.3% | Value: 3.66x
Why The blinkers are back, the market hasn't left her alone, and if she gets the right cover she's the sort who can absolutely blow up the trifecta.
Roughie: Bandi's Boy (No.8) — $17.50 / $4.60 🏆 3RD
Bet Tracked
Prob 11.7% | Place: 25.6% | Value: 2.58x
Why Equicast again and a gear tweak can sharpen him up, but he's still the sort who needs a bit of luck and a race shape collapse to really sting them.
Race type: Mostyncopper James H B Carr Stakes, 1400m
Map & tempo: Moderate pace with Bellazaine and Little Iris likely to make the running, while Plaintiff is the one everyone can see but not everyone wants to back at the price
Punty read: This is the class race where the favourite is supposed to just bolt in and instead gives everyone a headache. Plaintiff is unbeaten and clearly talented, but he's got no price on his head worth getting excited about. Bellazaine has been smashed in the market despite the drift, and that's the sort of move that makes Punty scratch his chin like a bloke in a detective movie. Snitzel Dancer and Beside The Ocean are the value gremlins if the pace gets honest and the race opens up late.
Top 3 + Roughie ($25.00 pool)
1. Bellazaine (No.2) — $8.25 / $2.10 🏆 9TH
Bet Tracked
Prob 20.5% | Place: 46.1% | Value: 1.83x
Why Big drift and big class, which is either a gift or a trap; if the stable has him right, he gets every chance to pinch this from the front.
2. Snitzel Dancer (No.10) — $23.50 / $3.80 🏆 WINNER
Bet $16.00 Each Way ($8.00W + $8.00P) — ✓ Won, net +$228.00
Prob 16.3% | Place: 35.4% | Value: 4.16x
Why The market's firmed him in and the money's telling a story; if he gets a good enough run from the inside-ish gate, he's right in the mix at a juicy price.
3. Plaintiff (No.1) — $2.25 / $1.22 🏆 2ND
Bet $9.00 Win — ✗ Lost, net -$9.00
Prob 15.3% | Place: 38.6% | Value: 0.37x
Why Unbeaten, classy, and clearly the horse to beat, but Punty doesn't love swallowing a short one in a race where the map can still throw a banana peel.
Roughie: Beside The Ocean (No.9) — $25.00 / $4.00 🏆 4TH
Bet Tracked
Prob 14.4% | Place: 33.7% | Value: 3.91x
Why If the speed goes hot and the leaders soften each other up, he's the one who can come rattling home and make the favourite's life miserable.
Race type: Toyota Forklifts Frank Packer Plate, 2000m
Map & tempo: Slow pace, which means the map matters and the race may turn into a crawl before someone has the stones to crank it up
Punty read: This is a staying race where the tempo could turn it into a tactical sleep-in. Matias is the obvious one the market wants to lean on, but the value isn't exactly dancing in the room. Providence and Olympian have both been warned by the market, and Barrengarry is the sneaky one that might be better than his odds if the speed stays on the gentle side. If you want an upset, you need the race to fall apart or someone to forget how to settle. The staying tests usually reward patience, and this one looks like a chess game with bigger horses.
Top 3 + Roughie ($15.00 pool)
1. Matias (No.1) — $3.00 / $1.37 🏆 WINNER
Bet $15.00 Place — ✓ Won, net +$3.00
Prob 19.4% | Place: 27.2% | Value: 0.65x
Why He's got the right profile and the barrier doesn't hurt, but at the price Punty's sticking to the safer place play and letting the others do the heavy lifting.
2. Providence (No.2) — $7.95 / $2.40 🏆 2ND
Bet Tracked
Prob 15.5% | Place: 23.1% | Value: 1.37x
Why The gear change is interesting and he's got class, but the map and the slow tempo mean he could end up in the wrong spot at the wrong time.
3. Olympian (No.4) — $5.45 / $1.95 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet Tracked
Prob 13.0% | Place: 20.2% | Value: 0.79x
Why The bloke has talent and a bit of recent form, but in a muddling 2000m race he's the sort who can flatter without quite delivering.
Roughie: Barrengarry (No.10) — $10.75 / $3.10 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet Tracked
Prob 10.5% | Place: 16.9% | Value: 1.25x
Why If he gets the right sit and the tempo stays dawdling enough for him to finish over the top, he can absolutely blow up the exotics.
Race type: Myplates JRA Plate, 2000m
Map & tempo: Hot pace with Just Fine, Sunset Park and Bear On The Loose all likely to roll on and make this a proper burn-up
Punty read: This one could get ugly early and glorious late. The leaders are likely to take turns trying to cut each other's throat, which is exactly the sort of setup that can make a backmarker or a well-timed midfield run look like a genius. You Wahng is the one with the best balance of price, map, and the right kind of patience; Encoder is the value machine if the race gets scrambled; and Touristic is the roughie who can make the tote squirm if the front runners go at it like three blokes fighting over the last parma.
Top 3 + Roughie ($15.00 pool)
1. You Wahng (No.13) — $12.00 / $3.60 🏆 2ND
Bet $15.00 Place — ✓ Won, net +$28.50
Prob 15.6% | Place: 22.8% | Value: 2.15x
Why The gear switch is the sort that can sharpen him up, and with the speed map looking juicy, he can be the one finishing strongest when the others are gasping.
2. Travolta (No.5) — $4.20 / $1.70 🏆 3RD
Bet Tracked
Prob 14.2% | Place: 21.1% | Value: 0.68x
Why He's a genuine player on class and the stable knows what it's doing, but at the price Punty would rather let someone else take the skinny slice.
3. Encoder (No.6) — $11.75 / $3.40 🏆 6TH
Bet Tracked
Prob 14.1% | Place: 21.0% | Value: 1.90x
Why The last run was better than it looks on paper and if the leaders are popping wheelies up front, he can be the one charging through the wreckage.
Roughie: Touristic (No.10) — $30.50 / $6.00 🏆 11TH
Bet Tracked
Prob 10.6% | Place: 16.7% | Value: 3.60x
Why Massive number on the board, and if the front half turns into a demolition derby, this is the sort of old hand who can sneak into the frame.
Race type: Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes, 1600m
Map & tempo: Slow pace, which means the first horse to relax properly and conserve energy could get the jump on the rest
Punty read: This is a proper feature race and it feels like one of those old-school tactical miles where one move wins the whole shebang. Fireball has been around the mark and gets the right sort of set-up, Campione D'italia is the class act off a Slipper-style run, and Grinzinger Heart is the big-price spoiler with the sort of profile that makes your ears prick up. Miss Chanel and Southend have market baggage, but both have enough ability to matter if the tempo becomes a sit-and-sprint. It's one of those races where the difference between hero and mug can be a half-length and a genius ride.
Top 3 + Roughie ($25.00 pool)
1. Fireball (No.2) — $6.80 / $2.20 🏆 WINNER
Bet $13.00 Win — ✓ Won, net +$77.35
Prob 17.3% | Place: 40.1% | Value: 1.33x
Why The race should suit a horse that can travel and finish, and if he sees out the mile, he's right in the firing line.
2. Campione D'italia (No.1) — $2.40 / $1.25 🏆 2ND
Bet $9.00 Win — ✗ Lost, net -$9.00
Prob 15.1% | Place: 36.2% | Value: 0.41x
Why The class horse in the race, and the one you'd rather have on your side than have to chase. He should get every chance to stamp himself again.
3. Grinzinger Heart (No.11) — $21.50 / $4.80 🏆 9TH
Bet $3.00 Each Way ($1.50W + $1.50P) — ✗ Lost, net -$3.00
Prob 14.5% | Place: 35.0% | Value: 3.52x
Why The market has shrugged at him, but the form is sharp enough and the race shape gives him a real sniff to swoop late and spoil the script.
Roughie: Southend (No.4) — $10.00 / $2.60 🏆 6TH
Bet Tracked
Prob 10.1% | Place: 26.1% | Value: 1.15x
Why If the race turns into a sit-and-sprint and he gets the timing right, he's got the talent to give the favourites a nasty headache.
Race type: TAB Hall Mark Stakes, 1200m
Map & tempo: Genuine pace, with Mazu likely to take them along and Private Eye sitting there like a coiled spring
Punty read: This is the sprint race of the day and it looks like a proper speed trial with class thrown into the blender. Private Eye is the one you trust most, Mazu is the track specialist who makes this grade look easy when he's right, and Bauhinia is the wild card with the kind of upside that can turn a smart ticket into a very smart one. Ostraka has enough talent to spoil things if the run presents, while The Inflictor is the pace smoke signal if the leaders overdo it. In short: speed, class, and a couple of rough angles that can make you look brilliant or stupid with very little in between.
Top 3 + Roughie ($20.00 pool)
1. Private Eye (No.1) — $3.38 / $1.32 🏆 3RD
Bet $9.50 Win — ✗ Lost, net -$9.50
Prob 23.0% | Place: 44.2% | Value: 0.88x
Why Genuine top-shelf sprinter and the map says he gets his chance to stalk and pounce without having to do the donkey work.
2. Mazu (No.4) — $3.75 / $1.37 🏆 WINNER
Bet $8.00 Win — ✓ Won, net +$20.40
Prob 19.1% | Place: 39.3% | Value: 0.81x
Why Rails draw, speed, and a stable that knows how to place one in the right race, if he gets a soft enough lead time, he's right there.
3. Bauhinia (No.11) — $20.00 / $4.00 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet $2.50 Each Way ($1.25W + $1.25P) — ✗ Lost, net -$2.50
Prob 17.8% | Place: 37.4% | Value: 4.02x
Why The gear goes on, the price is a gift, and if the race shape gets genuine rather than messy, she's the sort who can blow the party open.
Roughie: Ostraka (No.5) — $16.75 / $3.40 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet Tracked
Prob 13.5% | Place: 30.3% | Value: 2.64x
Why Held up and wide last time, which is excuse enough to keep him on the radar if the race pans out and he's not bailed up in traffic.
Race type: Schweppes All Aged Stakes, 1400m
Map & tempo: Moderate pace with Briasa disadvantaged on the map, and a bunch of the big names wanting the right run
Punty read: This is one of the races of the day and it looks like a proper all-star brawl. Giga Kick is the one you know can finish the job if the race turns into a straight-line war, Half Yours is the big wild value play with the staying class bleeding into the mile-and-a-quarter-ish edge of the 1400, and Briasa has the tactical profile to matter if he can find cover and not get trapped in no-man's-land. Pericles is the classy old stayer who can make a mess of the price if the tempo drops, while Magic Time and Fangirl are the sort of horses that can make you feel smart or stupid in the same thirty seconds.
Top 3 + Roughie ($25.50 pool)
1. Giga Kick (No.1) — $7.85 / $2.40 🏆 10TH
Bet $11.00 Win — ✗ Lost, net -$11.00
Prob 17.5% | Place: 40.2% | Value: 1.55x
Why The race shape suits a horse who can sit back and launch, and he's still the benchmark if the pace holds together.
2. Half Yours (No.5) — $22.50 / $5.00 🏆 9TH
Bet $10.00 Each Way ($5.00W + $5.00P) — ✗ Lost, net -$10.00
Prob 14.8% | Place: 35.4% | Value: 3.76x
Why Fresh horse with class, map, and upside; if the race turns into a test rather than a sprint, this is the one that'll have the punters cleaning beer off the ceiling.
3. Briasa (No.3) — $16.75 / $3.80 🏆 4TH
Bet $4.50 Each Way ($2.25W + $2.25P) — ✗ Lost, net -$4.50
Prob 13.2% | Place: 32.3% | Value: 2.50x
Why The map is a worry, but the talent is real and he gets the sort of set-up where a bit of luck puts him right back into the finish.
Roughie: Pericles (No.6) — $9.25 / $2.90 🏆 7TH
Bet Tracked
Prob 12.0% | Place: 30.0% | Value: 1.26x
Why The old boy doesn't need much of an excuse to run a cheeky race, and if the leaders hand it to him on a platter, he'll be there having the last laugh.
Race type: HKJC World Pool (Bm100), 1400m
Map & tempo: Genuine pace, with Cool Jakey likely to give them something to chase and a few on-pacers rolling forward
Punty read: The last race looks like a proper old-school Randwick finale with a few big names and a couple of floaters. Captain Furai is the class act who should have the race on a string if he jumps cleanly, Snow In May is the sneaky one with the tongue tie going on and a price that still looks workable, and Cool Jakey is the honest leader who can give you a run for your money if he gets a soft enough tempo. Unspoken and Tavi Time are the types who can make the exotics look very tidy if the race shape shits itself, while Hyperbolic is the old bomber who can run over the top if they overcook it.
Top 3 + Roughie ($20.00 pool)
1. Captain Furai (No.18) — $2.88 / $1.32 🏆 WINNER
Bet $14.50 Win — ✓ Won, net +$32.62
Prob 22.9% | Place: 49.4% | Value: 0.78x
Why He looks the class runner and the map says he can absorb the wide gate if he gets the right slot in behind the speed.
2. Snow In May (No.13) — $12.75 / $3.50 🏆 2ND
Bet $5.50 Win — ✗ Lost, net -$5.50
Prob 17.8% | Place: 41.7% | Value: 2.67x
Why Tongue tie goes on, the price is fair enough, and if the race is run at a solid clip, he gets his chance to round them up.
3. Cool Jakey (No.9) — $5.55 / $2.00 🏆 3RD
Bet Tracked
Prob 14.4% | Place: 35.6% | Value: 0.94x
Why Honest and capable, but the market has him about right and Punty's not interested in paying full freight for a bloke who might just be a placehole.
Roughie: Hyperbolic (No.20) — $19.00 / $4.60 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet Tracked
Prob 9.1% | Place: 24.4% | Value: 2.05x
Why The setup can suit him if the leaders knock each other around early, and he's the sort who can make the back end of the money if the race gets messy.
Sequence legs are the picks-engine's authoritative choice, rendered from the persisted ticket.
Smart: 9,16,10,8,11 / 2,10,9,1,3 / 1,2,4,10,8 / 13,5,6,10,1,7 (750 combos x $0.11 = $80.00) -- 11% flexi
Sequence legs are the picks-engine's authoritative choice, rendered from the persisted ticket.
Smart: 2,1,11,10,4 / 1,4,11,5 / 1,5,3,6,2,8 / 18,13,9,20,6,3 (720 combos x $0.09 = $65.00) -- 9% flexi
Sequence legs are the picks-engine's authoritative choice, rendered from the persisted ticket.
Smart: 1 / 13 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 18 (1 combos x $2.00 = $2.00) -- 200% flexi
The day's multi leans on three win legs across the card.
1 - Bellazaine (Race 4, No.2)✗ — $8.25
2 - Private Eye (Race 8, No.1)✗ — $3.38
3 - Captain Furai (Race 10, No.18)✓ Won — $2.88
Meeting Stats
Selections
Punty's Early Mail
Rightio Loose Units, Randwick's serving up a Good 4 with a bit of tailwind down the straight, so the swoopers get their chance but the map still matters like a bastard. It's a card full of open races, feature-race knife fights, and a few favourites who look skinny enough to make a bookmaker blush.
MEET SNAPSHOT
Track: Randwick, 1000-2000m card
Rail: +7m 1000m-W/Post, +5m remainder
Official going: Good 4 (expected to play fair with a slight help to closers in the straight)
Weather: Sunny, 20°C, humidity 35%, wind 20km/h SSW (watch for the straight tailwind giving late runners a longer crack)
Early lane guess: Middle to slightly off the fence looks the place to be; don't be married to the rails, and don't be scared of something winding up late
Tempo profile: Plenty of genuine speed and a few races with proper pressure; the sprints and feature miles should sort the men from the mugs
Jockeys to follow:
James McDonald, still the bloke you want when the race turns into a chess match at 100km/h
Jason Collett, maps well, times it right, and keeps landing on live rides
Zac Lloyd, on a stack of dangerous chances and riding with the confidence of a bloke who found the TAB app after a long lunch
Stables to respect:
C J Waller (18 runners), has runners all over the card and plenty of the serious bullets in the features
G Waterhouse & A Bott (5 runners), always dangerous when they get one fit and placed right
Bjorn Baker (4 runners), a couple of sharp ones dotted through the card, and he loves a live chance when the market starts humming
Punty's take: This meeting's got more moving parts than a soap opera at Flemington. The wind helps the late ones, but not enough to make every backmarker a hero, you still need a map, a bit of class, and a jockey who doesn't go walkabout at the wrong time. The open-bunched races are where the money's hiding, while the big feature races look like proper speed-vs-stamina throwdowns.
The punting angle today is simple: don't get seduced by shiny favourites if they're unders and the map's against them. There's value spread all through the card, especially in the races where the market has gone feral and overreacted to one good run or one bad one. If you're looking for a clean day, lean on the place line and the feature-race value; if you're keen to roll the dice, the quaddie lanes are wide enough to chew through a wallet.
What it means for you: Backing the obvious blokes every time here is how you end up buying everyone else lunch. The smart play is to keep the spine tight in the races where the map is clear, then throw coverage at the chaos races with the best value types. The straight tailwind means the swoopers aren't just token late closers either, if they've got a proper turn of foot, they can run over the top of them like a cheap special effects sequence.
If you're playing quaddies, don't be a hero in the early legs; use cover where the race shape is messy and trust the better maps in the feature races. If you're having a crack at exotics, box the live ones in the open races and don't burn cash on longshot prayer wheels unless there's a real reason for the move. The day is about selective aggression, not trying to win every race like you're starring in a reboot of Mad Max.