Eagle Farm race-by-race preview & best bets | June 25, 2022

Race 1: Class 3 Handicap (1600m)

We have been with SEDUCTION QUEEN a couple of times now, and while last start at the Sunshine Coast looked a great race for her, the fallen horse in front of her put paid to her chances and carted her out of the race. While that was a bit of a nothing run, she still went around and was able to stretch the legs, so she now comes into this Class 3 third-up and gets back to Eagle Farm. The Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted team are flying, so we expect this four-year-old mare to be extremely competitive in this fairly weak metropolitan race. Ben Thompson can open his account early on Tiara Day.

• 4
  

  SEDUCTION QUEEN

• 6
  

  WHITEWATER

• 9
  

  LETHAL WARNING

• 1
  

  ACROPHOBIC

Race 2: Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m)

This is one of the best races on the entire program, with fancied runners Joy Too All and UNCOMMON JAMES likely to fight it out. We are with the three-year-old who is coming off a 12-month break, so there is some cause for concern there, but his trials have been terrific. The son of Cable Bay won the Listed Oxlade Stakes 12 months ago at just his third start, defeating the talented Maotai, so we know he has ability. If he is at his best, there is no reason why the O’Dea & Hoysted camp can’t go back-to-back to start the meeting, with Ben Thompson set to reap the rewards from the saddle.

• 10
  

  UNCOMMON JAMES

• 7
  

  JOY TOO ALL

• 2
  

  SAFEWORK

• 9
  

  TARA JASMINE

Race 3: Listed Tattersall’s Gold Crown (2150m)

This is just a bad race, plain and simple. Our Intrigue is the odds-on favourite following her defeat in last Saturday’s Ipswich Cup over this same distance and she now comes back against her own sex where she does look hard to beat. In saying that, we cannot touch her at that price, so we are going to side with the Marc Conners-trained REBEL RAMA. While the form around Surf Dancer didn’t necessarily stack up, it still is probably the superior form line. We won’t be betting in this race though.

• 3
  

  REBEL RAMA

• 1
  

  OUR INTRIGUE

• 5
  

  ELUSIVE JEWEL

• 7
  

  TAAFFEITE

Race 4: Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup (2400m)

While the previous race is a ‘no bet race’ in every sense of the imagination, this race looks to be one of the best bets of the day. Matthew Smith’s ESTI FENY comes off a brave run in the Group 1 Doomben Cup and a solid fourth in the $1.2 million Q22 a fortnight ago. Both of those runs were at weight-for-age where carried 59kg against some of the best middle distance runners in the country, so to come back to this level with 55kg on his back makes him look a clear standout. It has been a long time since Esti Feny’s last win, but this is the ideal race for the seven-year-old to return to the winner’s circle.

• 2
  

  ESTI FENY

• 5
  

  BONNY EZRA

• 7
  

  ALAKAHAN

• 8
  

  LUNASNIT

Race 5: 2022 Battle of the Bush Final (1200m)

The Battle of the Bush is a great concept for the country trainers, owners and jockeys to race on the big stage, but it is a nightmare for punters. The majority of this form is all from Non-TAB tracks where replays are hard to find and there is very little data to assess. For those reasons, we have sided with the TAB form though as that is the easiest to wrap our heads around. AMMOUDI BAY clearly looks the one to beat based on his last few runs, which has seen him finish fourth at Eagle Farm in April, run fourth in The Fitzroy at Rockhampton behind Sir Warwick and then win at Home Hill with a big weight on his back. Justin Stanley knows this horse well, he rode him in a Gold Coast trial last week and they have drawn well in gate seven.

• 5
  

  AMMOUDI BAY

• 4
  

  RAIDEN

• 2
  

  V J DAY

• 7
  

  KEDLESTON

Race 6: Three-Year-Old Fillies (1200m)

Just the 10 runners line up in the opening leg of the quaddie, but it is certainly a competitive field of three-year-old fillies. Chris Munce has enjoyed a successful few months, and we expect that to continue on Saturday when he saddles up RHAPSODY ROSE in this race. The filly by Star Witness raced against the boys on Queensland Oaks Day, leading throughout to only get run down late by Athelric, Arentee and Ingratiating. Now back against the fillies, third-up and at the 1200m once again, she looks to be the leading chance in this race. Luke Tarrant will send her forward from barrier five and she should give them something to chase.

• 1
  

  RHAPSODY ROSE

• 7
  

  FETCH

• 8
  

  BURNING BELL

• 2
  

  TILIANAM

Race 7: Listed Tattersall’s Life Members Stakes (1400m)

A field of 15 two-year-olds will contest Saturday’s Listed Life Members Stakes over 1400m, with a number of these horses getting their last shot at two-year-old blacktype. It is a wide-open betting affair, but the one that the market has gravitated to early is the same galloper who we like, and that is JOHNNY ROCKER. The Barry Lockwood-trained colt by Jukebox is unbeaten from two starts, following an all-the-way win at this track on Stradbroke Day over 1300m in the Oxlade Stakes. He will lead from barrier 11 under Samantha Collett and if he can replicate his last-start win, we can’t see how anything catches him really.

• 2
  

  JOHNNY ROCKER

• 8
  

  STROLL

• 7
  

  CHAYSE ‘N’ ARTIE

• 3
  

  VICTORY MOMENTS

Race 8: Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m)

The eighth and final Group 1 of the Brisbane Winter Carnival will be run at Eagle Farm on Saturday, the Tattersall’s Tiara. A full field of mares and the lone filly will take their place in the $700,000 event, with some of these gallopers having their last shot at a valuable Group 1 victory before they embark on their broodmare careers. Find out who we are backing in the final Group 1 of the 2021/22 racing season, by reading our full race preview.

Race 9: Group 3 W.J. Healy Stakes (1200m)

The last race on Saturday is a cracker, with some very good sprinters lining up in the Healy Stakes. While the barrier is awful and the horse is the ultimate tease, we are with GARIBALDI following his very good first-up run. Tony Gollan has three horses in this Group 3 event and he looks well placed to take the race out, especially if this five-year-old brings his best. The son of I Am Invincible gets in well at the weights with just 54kg on his back, while he flies second-up and he loves Eagle Farm. Ben Thompson will have to make his mind up early, but we hope to see him push forward and slot in, rather than get dragged back to last from barrier 16. There’s a bit of speed in it, so Garibaldi will be flashing late. He looks a great bet to round out the program.

• 9
  

  GARIBALDI

• 8
  

  KING OF SPARTA

• 1
  

  BALLER

• 4
  

  RANGES