2023 Newmarket Handicap preview & best bets | Saturday, March 11

The Group 1 Newmarket Handicap down the famous Flemington straight headlines a bumper Saturday of racing in Melbourne.

A strong field of 16 will do battle down the ‘Straight Six’ where an impressive six Group 1 winners make up the field. Among those are Private Eye and Mazu, who finished second and third respectively in last year’s Everest, while Golden Eagle winner I Wish I Win chases his first Group 1 success.

Throw in the likes of last year’s winner Roch ‘N’ Horse and the up-and-coming trio of Chain Of Lightning, Lofty Strike and Star Patrol, and we are set fair for a cracking edition of the time-honoured Newmarket Handicap.

2023 Newmarket Handicap Betting Odds

Having stormed home to finish second in the Black Caviar Lightning first-up from a spell, online bookmakers have installed I Wish I Win as a $4.20 favourite in his hunt for Group 1 glory. For the first time since her jaw-dropping win in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, In Secret returns to the Flemington 1200m where she is a $5 chance against her older rivals. Whilst Private Eye ($8) and Lofty Strike ($9) are the only other runners at a single figure quote for this year’s Newmarket Handicap.

2023 Newmarket Handicap Speed Map

As always in the Newmarket, there will be speed to burn up in front in Saturday’s Group 1. Snapper, Front Page and The Astrologist will all look to use their natural early speed and hold a prominent spot. The likes of Mazu, In Secret, Star Patrol and Roch ‘N’ Horse are all expected to settle just off the heels of the leaders. Look for Private Eye, September Run and I Wish I Win to be at the rear of the field throughout and be charging over the top of some potentially vulnerable leaders late on.

Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2023 Newmarket Handicap.

2023 Newmarket Handicap Preview & Form

Private Eye simply has to go on top for us in this year’s Newmarket. The Joseph Pride-trained sprinter was simply breathtaking in the spring when racing over these sprinting trips and is going to take a power of beating. He won impressively over this track and trip first-up last campaign, before being narrowly beaten by Giga Kick in The Everest at his next start. He has three wins from six first-up runs and four wins from six goes at the trip, all results which signal he should be hard to beat on Saturday. In sprint races down the Flemington straight, you want a horse who will see out a strongly run 1200m event and considering he has won at Group 1 level over 1600m, we know Private Eye will see out the trip and at $8 with online betting sites, he is a great bet.

Newmarket trials do not come much better than what I Wish I Win produced in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning first-up from a spell on February 18. The 1000m was clearly too short for him, but not by much. The Peter Moody-trained star launched home late to go down by under a half-length to Coolangatta a genuine 1000m specialist to suggest he will be hard to beat when he steps up to the 1200m. He is yet to miss the top two at the trip and holds a similar record when second-up from a spell. The slight query is that despite not being a Group 1 winner, he only has a 1.5kg advantage over Private Eye and will most likely be alongside the topweight at the 400m mark when they make their run.

Lofty Strike is deadset barging down the door in his bid for a maiden Group 1. He simply gave the classy Uncommon James too much of a start in the Oakleigh Plate when deadset flashing home to finish second when beaten under a length. He gains a 5.5kg over Private Eye which could prove beneficial late on. The sole reason we do not have him in the top two is the fact he is yet to finish in the top three in two goes in Flemington Group 1’s over 1200m, with the theory being he is a better horse when forced to go around a bend.

In a wide-open affair, the one at a price we can make a case for is reigning champ Roch ‘N’ Horse. The Mike Moroney-trained mare relishes the Flemington straight and continues to be underestimated by the market and is a $35 quote in this years edition. If she brings her best, Roch ‘N’ Horse is more than capable of lugging 55.5kg and can lob at any old price.

The chances simply do not end there.

2023 Newmarket Handicap selections & best bets

• 1

  PRIVATE EYE

• 3

  I WISH I WIN

• 9

  LOFTY STRIKE

• 4

  ROCH ‘N’ HORSE

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