| What | Ipswich Cup Day |
| Where | Ipswich Turf Club – 219 Brisbane Rd, Bundamba QLD 4304 |
| When | Saturday, June 17, 2023 |
| First Race | 11:43am AEST |
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Visit Ladbrokes |
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The Ipswich Turf Club will host its marquee meeting this Saturday afternoon, with the $200,000 Ipswich Cup highlighting the nine-race program. The track is currently rated a Soft 5; however, with no rain on the forecast for Friday and Saturday, we expect to be racing on a Good track for the entire meeting. The rail will be slightly out of the true position, set at +0.5m for the entire circuit. The first race on Ipswich Cup Day will jump at 11:43am AEST.
Ipswich Cup Tip: Berdibek
The John O’Shea-trained Bedibek was very good last start in the Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup, finishing just under three lengths behind Without A Fight – who has since gone on to win again in The Q22. This nine-year-old gelding was the best of the rest in the final 200m of the Lord Mayor’s Cup, indicating to us that he is ready to step up to 2150m fourth-up. After running sixth in this race last year, O’Shea and his team appear to have this seasoned galloper going just as well this time in, if not better. Ryan Maloney will jump on board for the first time, and there is no other jockey in Queensland that you want riding for you at the moment.
Ipswich Cup
Race 7 – 
#4 Berdibek (11)
9yo Gelding | T: John O’Shea | J: Ryan Maloney (55.5kg)
$6.50 with Betfair
Eye Liner Stakes Tip: Blaze A Trail
The Eye Liner Stakes appears to be the toughest race to dissect on the card, with only one last-start winner in the field. Most online bookmakers agree, with only three runners under double figures. Blaze A Trail is the $5.50 favourite having finished second to the smart Antino last start, and he looks the one to beat. The five-year-old gelding drops from 60kg to 54kg as he steps up to Listed grade, and from barrier three Jake Bayliss should be able to find the box seat behind likely leaders Lady Of Honour and Holyfield. If Bayliss can get off the rail on the home turn, we expect Blaze A Trail to play a prominent role in the finish.
Eye Liner Stakes
Race 8 – 
#12 Blaze A Trail (3)
5yo Gelding | T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | J: Jake Bayliss (54kg)
$5.50 with Neds
Gai Waterhouse Classic Tip: Lady Laguna
The Annabel Neasham-trained Lady Laguna was beaten by Yellow Brick and Soothsayer in the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas two starts back, before going down by half a length behind Golden Boom and Spacewalk in the Darby McCarthy 3YO Plate. Since that last start, Spacewalk has come out and won in Sydney, while Golden Boom ran third in the Listed race that this filly was scratched from two weeks ago in favour of this. Although this girl has been up since the start of March, she hasn’t run a bad race, finishing in the placings at six of her seven runs this campaign. With a slight freshen of four weeks, and the fact she gains the services of Ryan Maloney, Lady Laguna should prove hard to beat if she gets any luck from barrier 12.
Gai Waterhouse Classic
Race 9 – 
#3 Lady Laguna (12)
3yo Filly | T: Annabel Neasham | J: Ryan Maloney (57kg)
$4.60 with Palmerbet
Best Bet at Ipswich: Deepour
The Adam Campton-trained Deepour drops back from Listed grade first-up to a Class 6 this Saturday. After rattling off four straight wins to end last preparation, Campton threw this five-year-old gelding in the deep end first-up and he didn’t disappoint, running home strongly into third place behind Petronius and Athelric over 1000m. The son of Exosphere should appreciate the drop in grade and the rise in distance to 1100m, where he has only finished outside the placings once in his 13-start career. James Orman will be legged aboard for the first time, and from barrier 12 we expect to see Orman settle him at the rear of the field. With a few speed influences in this race, we should see it run at a good clip. If Orman can get to the outside and let Deepour go through his gears around the home turn, he should be running over the top of the leaders late.
Best Bet
Race 5 – 
#3 Deepour (12)
5yo Gelding | T: Adam Campton | J: James Orman (57kg)
$2.90 with Unibet
Next Best at Ipswich: Sailor’s Secret
The Kelly Schweida-trained Sailor’s Secret won three starts back before finishing second last time out at Doomben over 1350m, where Sunfall ran him down in the final 50m. This three-year-old gelding has a very strong record at Ipswich, winning three of his six starts there including two wins at the 1350m. Gaining the services of Ben Thompson for the second time in his career, we expect Sailor’s Secret to prove very hard to run down if he finds the lead or sits outside the leader upon settling.
Next Best
Race 2 – 
#10 Sailor’s Secret (7)
3yo Gelding | T: Kelly Schweida | J: Ben Thompson (54kg)
$3.30 with Bet365
Best Value at Ipswich: Mississippi Prince
After a poor effort in the Class 6 Handicap at Eagle Farm on May 27, Brent Gray sent Mississippi Prince back to the trials to find a bit of form. The four-year-old gelding started his preparation with a nice win over 1350m at Doomben before finishing third in a Benchmark 85 Handicap over 1600m two starts later. Cejay Graham has trialled this son of Foxwedge in the lead-up to this assignment, and with her 3kg claim, he gets into this race with only 58kg on his back. There appears to be only one other speed influence in this race, so Graham should be able to let Mississippi Prince glide across the field and take up the running or sit outside So Dapper before kicking clear and trying to put a margin on his rivals early in the home straight. At $13 with online betting sites, we are more than happy to have our money on this talented galloper.
Best Value
Race 3 – 
#1 Mississippi Prince (12)
4yo Gelding | T: Brent Gray | J: Cejay Graham (a3) (61kg)
$13 with Ladbrokes
Saturday quaddie picks for Ipswich Cup Day
Ipswich quadrella selections
Saturday, June 17, 2023
- 2-3-4-9
- 1-3-4-5
- 2-6-8-12
- 2-3-11-15
Investment: $256 for 100%
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