Caulfield racing tips & top value bets | Sunday, December 26
| What | Caulfield Boxing Day Races |
| Where | Caulfield Racecourse – 22 Station St, Caulfield East VIC 3145 |
| When | Sunday, December 26, 2021 |
| First Race | 12:55pm AEDT |
| Watch Live | |
A bumper nine-race card is scheduled for Caulfield on Sunday for the track’s annual Boxing Day race meeting, and HorseBetting’s Victorian horse racing analyst presents his race-by-race preview, best bets and free quaddie numbers for the afternoon. The track has come up as a Good 4, with the rail set in the true position, and racing is set to commence at 12:55pm AEDT.
Race 1: 3YO BM70 Handicap (1400m)
We will be looking to get Boxing Day off to a winning start when the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Decent Raine steps out over 1400m. The three-year-old Dissident filly was beaten a half-length in the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes at this track and distance on November 27 and is set to appreciate the drop back into BM70 grade. She is the top weight at 61kg, although Matthew Cartwright’s 2kg claim helps, and from barrier three the pair look set to gain the run of the race just off the leading pair. Decent Raine’s resume includes a 2.5-length defeat to Fangirl earlier in this preparation, and on that form alone she is the clear best bet of the day.
Selections: 1-3-5-4
Race 2: 2YO Handicap (1200m)
A competitive field of 14 two-year-olds will duke it out over 1200m in the second race of the afternoon, and we are opting to side with the raceday experience of Jamarra. The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Duporth colt managed to break his maiden in impressive fashion at Bendigo on December 12 when displaying a nice turn of foot. He looked to be a hard-luck story having been held up for a run until the final 200m, before he knuckled down and finished well in an impressive performance. He draws barrier 12 on Saturday, so he will need a touch of luck early. But with race experience on his side and John Allen retaining the ride, the $9 on offer looks to be a good bet early on the Caulfield card.
Selections: 1-5-10-11
Race 3: 3YO Fillies BM70 Handicap (1100m)
With eight last-start winners in the race, the 3YO BM70 for fillies looks like one we can find some value in. Having avoided being a good thing licked on debut, the Leon & Tory Corstens-trained Swerving looks well placed to remain undefeated when she steps into a metropolitan grade BM70. The three-year-old chestnut filly was held up for a run throughout the home straight at Geelong on December 1 until the final 100m, and when the gap appeared, she launched out of the ground to salute in impressive fashion. The big positive is that Damien Oliver sticks on board, but from barrier eight the pair will need a touch of luck. If Swerving can gain cover near the speed, then her turn of foot is good enough to take out an event like this.
Selections: 11-13-3-4
Race 4: BM70 Handicap (1100m)
Anthony & Sam Freedman bring their four-year-old mare Soul Obsession to the Caulfield 1100m following a smart win at the Moonee Valley 1000m on November 26. Having settled a distant third facing the breeze, the daughter of I Am Invincible made her move approaching the home turn and managed to move clear inside the final 50m. From barrier five, we expect Matthew Cartwright to make the most of his 2kg claim and have Soul Obsession settled outside the leader. If the brown mare can replicate a similar performance inside the final 100m at Caulfield as she did at The Valley, then we anticipate she will bring up consecutive victories for the second time in her career.
Selections: 8-11-9-14
Race 5: Fillies & Mares BM70 Handicap (1600m)
It is last-chance saloon for the Danny O’Brien-trained Americain Angel, who comes to the Caulfield 1600m following a hat-trick of runner-up performances. She dropped back to the 1300m at Sandown on December 8 as a bit of a throw at the stumps but was doing her best work late when going down by a length. She steps back up to the mile, a distance she has three minor placings at from as many starts. Her form lines are as good as any horse in the race, having been beaten under two lengths my Media Award and Personal in the Australasian Oaks last campaign. Barrier 14 should be no hinderance, as she looks to get back and run on as it is. With Jamie Kah hopping on board for the first time, she will have this daughter of Americain fighting out the finish.
Selections: 13-11-4-5
Race 6: BM84 Handicap (2000m)
The opening leg of the Caulfield quaddie on Boxing Day looks to be a competitive BM84, with the top four in the market all having their claims. Daqiansweet Junior was a smart winner against Laundy at The Valley on December 10, whilst The Awesome Son has strung together consecutive victories himself. However, the form Lyrical Lad brings in is the form we want to side with. He smashed High ‘N’ Dry at Pakenham on December 4, with that horse then coming out and winning at Flemington last week to frank the form. From barrier 11, we expect Zac Spain to take this son of Roman Emperor to the rear of the field, where he can let the race unfold in front of him. Lyrical Lad is armed with a strong turn of foot, and if he can gain a nice tow into the race, then he should prove too good for this lot and bring up a hat-trick of wins.
Selections: 5-13-4-11
Race 7: Lord Stakes (1700m)
Starelle has been knocking down the door this campaign with three straight minor placings. The four-year-old More Than Ready mare chased home the in-form Regalo Di Gaetano in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes at Caulfield on November 27. She was narrowly defeated by Bonvicini, who she meets again on Sunday, but with Jamie Kah on board, we expect her to turn the tables on her rival. From barrier nine, look for Kah to lob her in a midfield spot with cover and then let Starelle’s nice turn of foot do the rest.
Selections: 6-9-12-2
Race 8: Christmas Stakes (1100m)
Having thrashed her rivals at Bendigo on November 11, Marabi looks to be a star on the rise. She steps out at Stakes level for the first time, but as she has shown throughout her undefeated four-start career, she is a reliable as you could hope for. The five-year-old I Am Invincible mare put seven lengths on subsequent winner Savannah Cloud at Bendigo, which helped bring her combined winning margins from her four starts to a whopping 22.5 lengths. Jamie Kah will take over the steer from Ben Allen, which is no disadvantage, and from barrier seven she should have enough early speed under her to cross Ancestry and take up the running. If Marabi can get to the rail early enough, the race may be over within the first 150m.
Selections: 17-10-1-2
Race 9: BM78 Handicap (1400m)
We will be hoping to blast out in the last race of the day when the Patrick Payne-trained Sig Positano steps out over 1400m. With two runner-up performances and a win from three starts this campaign, the six-year-old Canford Cliffs gelding looks to have turned the corner. He looked to have been a genuine wet-tracker prior to this campaign, but his win at Pakenham two starts back came on a Good 4, before he backed it up with a narrow defeat to Exeter on a Good 4 at The Valley on December 4. He is set to gain a suck run in transit from barrier two, and if a gap appears at the top of the straight, we expect Sig Positano to make it three wins from five goes over the 1400m.
Selections: 2-6-4-8
Boxing Day quaddie tips for Caulfield
| Caulfield quadrella selections | |
|---|---|
| Leg 1: | 4-5-11-13 |
| Leg 2: | 2-6-9-12 |
| Leg 3: | 10-17 |
| Leg 4: | 2-4-6-8 |
| Investment: | $128 for 100% |