There are a massive 14 meetings set to take place on Saturday, including at Eagle Farm and Moonee Valley, where ten-race cards are scheduled.
They also race at Beaudesert, Cairns, Corowa, Cranbourne, Darwin, Gilgandra, Kembla Grange, Kerang, Morphettville, Pinjarra, Randwick and Toowoomba on a bumper day of action.
Zoubaby @ 8.00
Howlin' Rain @ 7.00
Bullets High @ 5.00
The highlight at Eagle Farm is the seventh race of the day, the Group 3 Magic Millions VO Rogue Plate, a 1300m contest set to take place on a soft 5 track.
Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald look to hold strong claims with their Bosustow set to make his second appearance at this venue.
The colt was beaten just under four-and-a-half-lengths in the Group 1 J.J. Atkins over 1600m at this venue in June and has been plying his trade in Melbourne since.
The youngster’s efforts this campaign include a third over 1400m in The Amanda Elliott, a 1400m contest at Flemington early last month.
While Joseph Parr’s mount has been freshened since that effort, he looks opposable here, with the filly ZOUBABY preferred.
The daughter of Zoustar is another who has been active in Melbourne in recent months, with the pick having recorded three wins from her five starts this season.
While those victories have all come at a lower level than she races at here, she did deliver a solid fifth, beaten less than one-and-a-half-lengths over 1100m in the Group 3 Red Roses Stakes.
The 8.00 selection raced down the straight at Flemington in the Red Roses and returned to winning ways with a comfortable success in a Benchmark 72 handicap over 1200m at Randwick two weeks ago.
Richard & Will Freedman took the honours with Fashion Legend two years ago and their filly looks up to providing them with a second win in the race.
At Moonee Valley the eighth race on the card is a Benchmark 70 handicap set to take place over the Cox Plate distance.
A good 4 track is expected for the race, with Mannerheim expected to feature towards the head of the betting.
Chris Waller’s representative has shown improvement with racing this season, finishing two lengths fifth in a 1600m Benchmark 64 handicap at Hawkesbury on his penultimate start.
The gelding recorded his second win of 2024 when coming home nearly two lengths clear of his rivals when stepped up to 2100m for a Benchmark 64 handicap at Wyong earlier this month.
Both of those efforts came on a good 4 surface and, while he looks ready for a return to metro level racing, he has to overcome a wide barrier if he is to complete a double.
Cindy Alderson’s HOWLIN' RAIN will jump from two off the rail here and he is preferred, having finished in the first three in five of his six starts this prep.
The exception came when four lengths fourth when racing at this Benchmark 70 level over 1800m at Caulfield Heath three starts back.
The 7.00 selection returned to winning ways when racing over the same track and trip in a Benchmark 64 handicap eight days later.
The son of Fiorente, a maiden winner over 2600m at Cranbourne in April, had no issue with the step up to 2000m when following up by over two lengths at Seymour last week.
The pick came home over two lengths clear of his nearest pursuer when ridden by his jockey here Thomas Stockdale that day and he looks capable of continuing his winning run.
The penultimate race at Randwick is a 2000m Benchmark 88 handicap expected to take place on a good 4 surface.
BULLETS HIGH has been in good form this prep, winning once and placing second three times from four starts.
Those three second-place finishes include a narrow defeat when contesting a Benchmark 78 handicap held on a good 4 track at Newcastle last month.
A fifth-place finish when beaten just under a length over 1800m at Rosehill followed, prior to the gelding finishing second in a 2000m Benchmark 78 handicap at the same venue.
The 5.00 selection raced on a heavy 10 track last time out and, racing in blinkers for the first time, he looks capable of recording his fourth career win.