Saturday’s Eagle Farm best bets & quaddie | April 15, 2023
| What | Eagle Farm Races |
| Where | Eagle Farm Racecourse – 230 Lancaster Rd, Ascot QLD 4007 |
| When | Saturday, April 15, 2023 |
| First Race | 11:43am AEST |
The Brisbane Racing Club will host a very competitive nine-race card this Saturday afternoon, with the highlight races being the Listed Daybreak Lover 3YO Plate and Listed Ascot Quality Handicap. With good weather forecast for the Sunshine State this weekend, we expect to be racing on a perfect Good 4 surface for the entire program. The rail will be in the +3m position the whole way round, with racing set to kick off at 11:43am AEST.
Ascot Quality Handicap Tip: Sneaky Five
We expect a full field of 12 for the Listed Ascot Quality Handicap (1000m), which closes out the program. Sneaky Five, trained by Tony Gollan, will return to racing on Saturday after a three-month layoff, with the benefit of one quiet trial over 1000m at Doomben on April 11. This daughter of Fastnet Rock has a very nice fresh record, with two wins and a second from four first-up runs throughout her 10-start career. At the back end of her most recent preparation, this four-year-old mare brought up her first win under the care of Gollan in the Listed Bribie Quality Handicap, before running third by a nose in the Listed Nudgee Plate. Drawing barrier 11 suits this girl because she likes to get back and run on in her races, and Jim Byrne’s booking is also a plus. She appears to be a good bet at double-digit odds with online bookmakers.
Ascot Quality Handicap
Race 9 – 
#2 Sneaky Five (12)
4yo Mare | T: Tony Gollan | J: Jim Byrne (54kg)
Daybreak Lover 3YO Plate Tip: Speak Up
Speak Up has won her last three starts, switching between New South Wales and Queensland during that streak. This three-year-old filly has been impressive in all four of her starts this preparation, finishing third first-up over 1200m after making up a lot of ground, before winning at Wyong, Eagle Farm, and Hawkesbury in her next three runs. In her most recent start, the daughter of Sebring easily defeated Conceited and Toesonthenose by two lengths in a Benchmark 64 Handicap over 1300m, with the latter coming out and winning at Newcastle on Wednesday. Angela Jones will be reunited with this filly after riding her to victory over 1350m at this track two starts ago. Barrier six appears to be ideal for Speak Up, and if she gets clear running in the final 300m, she will be difficult to hold out late.
Daybreak Lover 3YO Plate
Race 8 – 
#11 Speak Up (6)
3yo Filly | T: John O’Shea | J: Angela Jones (55kg)
Best Bet at Eagle Farm: Headwall
The Matthew Smith-trained Headwall is yet to miss the placings at his first five starts, while winning three of those five starts. You could argue that this three-year-old gelding could very easily be undefeated, with both of his losses this preparation being by small margins. This son of Dream Ahead has jumped as the favourite at four of his five career starts, which indicates that he is a talented horse with plenty of admirers. After racing in New South Wales to start his career, he will race in Queensland for the first time on Saturday, with James Orman taking the reins from his usual rider, Blake Spriggs. With a fair amount of speed expected in this race, Orman should be able to settle this gelding midfield from barrier nine, and if he gets the breaks around the home turn, Headwall will be charging at the leaders in the final 100m and should prove too good.
Best Bet
Race 1 – 
#8 Headwall (9)
3yo Gelding | T: Matthew Smith | J: James Orman (56kg)
Next Best Bet at Eagle Farm: Antino
The second leg of the quaddie appears to be a match race between two promising four-year-old geldings, with Kipsbay taking on Antino. We will be siding with the latter as he chases his fifth win in six career starts, returning from a three-month spell. This son of Redwood has only been defeated once, when he was run over in the final 50m of The Gateway 4YO Plate over 1400m by Tick Tock Queen and Arentree. This Tony Gollan-trained runner is undefeated when fresh, winning two from two first-up, while he is also two from two at 1200m. James Orman has ridden this horse in all five of his starts and will ride him again this weekend, so if he can find the back of his main rival in the running, we should see a great battle down the home straight, with Antino holding a margin over his rivals on the line.
Next Best
Race 7 – 
#9 Antino (6)
4yo Gelding | T: Tony Gollan | J: James Orman (55kg)
Best Value Bet at Eagle Farm: Szabo
In the lone two-year-old race of the day, the Brenton Andrew-trained Szabo will be looking to maintain her unbeaten record after two impressive wins over 800m at Ipswich. On her debut, this filly stormed out of the gates to take the lead and put a massive margin on her rivals before the home turn, and she held that break to win by four lengths over Black Minto. As a $1.40 favourite in her most recent start, this daughter of Brave Smash appeared to be in trouble, but once she got off the heels of the leader, she lengthened stylishly to run away with an arrogant victory. Billie-Rose Andrew has ridden this girl in both of her starts and knows her very well, so we will be backing Szabo at the massive odds of $27 available with online betting sites.
Best Value
Race 4 – 
#7 Szabo (11)
2yo Filly | T: Brenton Andrew | J: Billie-Rose Andrew (55kg)
Eagle Farm quaddie numbers for Saturday
Eagle Farm quadrella selections
Saturday, April 15, 2023
- 6-7-8-14
- 6-9
- 1-2-8-11
- Field
Investment: $384 for 100%