Toorak Handicap tips, odds & betting strategy | Saturday 8/10/22

The time-honoured Toorak Handicap over 1600m will be the third and final Group 1 on Caulfield Guineas Day this Saturday. A field of 16 will do battle over the 1600m in the $1 million race, with Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Callsign Mav and the ultra-impressive I Wish I Win expected to feature heavily.

The Peter Moody-trained I Wish I Win has opened as the market favourite at $2.80 with online bookmakers, with the Lindsey Smith-trained Tuvalu sitting on the second line of betting at $8. The Annabel Neasham-trained Military Expert sits on the third line of betting at $9, just ahead of the Hayes-trained Gentleman Roy at $10. Even though Callsign Mav and Pinstriped are $21 and $12, respectively, they are still good chances.

There will be a lot of speed injected into this year’s edition of the Toorak with Gentleman Roy, Noname Lane, Buffalo River and Converge all looking to take the lead or be very prominent from good barriers. Military Expert, Tuvalu and Callsign Mav will be looking to sit just off the lead or better than midfield, while Character, Hilal, I Wish I Win and Pinstriped will be out the back and flying home late following a solid tempo set by the leaders.

Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2022 Toorak Handicap.

I Wish I Win has been very, very impressive for the Moody team since joining from New Zealand, winning at Caulfield over 1400m and then at Sandown over 1300m in the Listed Testa Rossa. At his first-up run at Caulfield, this son of Savabeel was heavily backed into favouritism and absolutely smashed his rivals by four lengths. At his second-up run, Luke Nolen had nowhere to go for the majority of the home straight and only got into clear galloping room with 150m to go, yet this gelding still won easily by a length in Listed company. Nolen will go back from barrier 13 and, hopefully, be in the second half of the field. If I Wish I Win gets any luck in the straight and clear galloping room, he will be very, very hard to beat with only 54.5kg on his back.

The James Cummings-trained Character will be on the seven-day backup after being luckless over 1400m in the Listed Headquarters Handicap at Flemington last Saturday. We made this gelding a horse to follow in the Follow Files after he was held up from the 500m mark to the 150m mark before getting clear and absolutely flying home. He gets in on the minimum weight of 52kg with Dean Yendall on board, and if this son of Teofilo gets to the outside, keep an eye on him late.

Gentleman Roy and Tuvalu both have solid claims in the Toorak Handicap as they will be on pace or leading this field. If they get a picnic in the lead and are allowed to go at their own pace, these two could pair off and fight it out over the concluding stages.

2022 Toorak Handicap selections & best bets

• 1

  I WISH I WIN

• 8

  CHARACTER

• 3

  GENTLEMAN ROY

• 2

  TUVALU

More horse racing tips