| What | Ipswich Cup Day |
| Where | Ipswich Turf Club – 219 Brisbane Rd, Bundamba QLD 4304 |
| When | Saturday, June 18, 2022 |
| Feature Race | Race 7: Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) |
| First Race | 11:43am AEST |
|
Visit Ladbrokes |
|
While Ipswich Cup Day may not hold the prestige of some of Brisbane’s major Group 1 race days, this meeting has attracted the biggest crowd to a Queensland racetrack in the past few years. HorseBetting’s Queensland racing expert brings you his best bets in the three feature races at Ipswich this Saturday, as well as top tips throughout the remainder of the card and his suggested quaddie numbers.
The meeting is set to be run on a Soft 5 surface, while the rail has been moved out just 0.5m for the entire course. The first of nine races is set to jump at 11:43am AEST, while the Ipswich Cup – the first of three Listed races – is scheduled for 3:13pm.
IPSWICH CUP BEST BET: BALLISTIC BOY
Ballistic Boy is a horse we have always liked, and he won’t find a better chance to return to the winner’s stall than this. The Chris Anderson-trained five-year-old is on the seven-day backup after beating just one runner home in Saturday’s Q22 at weight-for-age level, but he was far from disgraced as an outsider. Now back to Listed company under handicap conditions, the son of Smart Missile looks to have a bit of a class edge on his rivals. He has drawn well in barrier six under Ryan Maloney and should get every chance to prove that he is a deserving top weight in this race.
Ipswich Cup Best Bet
Race 7 – 
#2 Ballistic Boy (6)
5yo Gelding | T: Chris Anderson | J: Ryan Maloney (59kg)
$12 with Bet365
EYE LINER STAKES BEST BET: LAST CHANCE
This time last year, Last Chance was gearing up for the North Queensland Winter Carnival, which he excelled in, but we wouldn’t have thought we’d be tipping him in an Eye Liner Stakes. The horse has gone from strength to strength over the past 12 months, winning a couple of strong races at Doomben over this distance. Most recently he was runner-up to Soxagon, who franked the form and won the BRC Sprint (1300m) while edging out the subsequent Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) winner. The Shaun Dwyer-trained gelding gets back on top of the ground, which he loves, so we expect him to go very close in what will be a high-pressure race. Mark Du Plessis has been on the son of Tycoon Ruler in his last three starts, with the pair building a really formidable record together, so we are happy to be with him at the double-figure odds.
Eye Liner Stakes Best Bet
Race 8 – 
#4 Last Chance (12)
6yo Gelding | T: Shaun Dwyer | J: Mark Du Plessis (55kg)
$17 with Neds
GAI WATERHOUSE CLASSIC BEST BET: JUAN DIVA
Richard & Will Freedman’s Juan Diva is arguably the best bet of the day at Ipswich, where she will line up in the Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic over 1200m. The five-year-old mare was brilliant when winning first-up at Caulfield, and although she has been beaten in her two Queensland runs since, she’s been far from disgraced. Drawn in barrier three under Jim Byrne in this $150,000 event, this daughter of Snitzel should land in the box seat, tucked in behind the speed horse, giving her every chance to let down with her explosive turn of foot in the straight. The $5 on offer with online bookmakers looks a phenomenal play.
Gai Waterhouse Classic Best Bet
Race 9 – 
#2 Juan Diva (3)
5yo Mare | T: Richard & Will Freedman | J: Jim Byrne (58kg)
$5 with Ladbrokes
BEST BET AT IPSWICH: COCO ROX
Matt Dunn’s filly Coco Rox has been all over the countryside this preparation, winning at Doomben first-up before running third at Scone and Caulfield respectively. She now returns to Queensland and lines up in a very winnable race, especially if the current favourite, Uncommon James, gets scratched – which is very likely. Barrier five is going to give gun hoop Ryan Maloney every opportunity to either lead or be thereabouts on the daughter of Better Than Ready, who will now be rock-hard fit coming into the race fourth-up. She can take her record to four wins from eight starts now.
Best Bet
Race 6 – 
#6 Coco Rox (5)
3yo Filly | T: Matthew Dunn | J: Ryan Maloney (55kg)
$4.60 with PlayUp
NEXT BEST AT IPSWICH: KIPLING’S JOURNEY
The Peter & Will Hulbert-trained Kipling’s Journey was on a Queensland Derby path but didn’t quite have enough prizemoney in the bank to make the field, so they have had to settle for a lesser target. The staying son of Zoustar was a good winner Doomben on June 1, coming from the back to win the 2040m event by 1.75 lengths with 56kg on his back. The three-year-old drops to 52.5kg for Saturday’s assignment as he looks to repeat the feats of Incentivise 12 months ago by winning this race. From barrier 10, Mark Du Plessis will go back on this big leggy animal and look to circle the field once again. He will relish the 2500m.
Next Best
Race 3 – 
#10 Kipling’s Journey (10)
3yo Gelding | T: Peter & Will Hulbert | J: Mark Du Plessis (52.5kg)
$3.90 with Palmerbet
BEST VALUE AT IPSWICH: BADGERS NUTS
New Zealand three-year-old Badgers Nuts has just continued to improve since being in Queensland, leading to an all-the-way maiden win at Doomben last start. While the margin was only small, he and runner-up Landsborough Lad put 4.5 lengths on the third horse, which suggests those two have plenty of ability. The son of Rageese does face a sharp rise in class – hence the $15 – but Samantha Collett is riding brilliantly of late, and barrier six is going to allow the pair to camp behind the speedy Berdini’s Girl and Indiscreetly, which will give Badgers Nuts the first crack at them. If he’s improved, he will go close again.
Best Value
Race 2 – 
#4 Badgers Nuts (6)
3yo Gelding | T: Shaune Ritchie & Colm Murray | J: Samantha Collett (57kg)
$15 with Ladbrokes
Saturday quaddie picks for Ipswich
Ipswich quadrella selections
Saturday, June 18, 2022
- 1-3-6
- 2-3-5
- 1-3-4-5
- 2-5-9-14-17
Investment: $180 for 100%
More Saturday racing tips
