A star-studded line-up of autumn weight-for-age horses do battle at Flemington on Super Saturday in the Australian Cup 2018, betting tips and exotic selections on the Group 1 available below.
Single Gaze is the Races.com.au tip to win the Australian Cup 2018 on the Super Saturday card at Flemington. Photo: Steve Hart.
One of two Group 1s on the card along with the Newmarket Handicap for the sprinters, this year’s Group 1 $1.5 million Australian Cup (2000m) features 12 hopefuls and Darren Weir saddles-up the favourite Gailo Chop.
Weir won the race last year with Humidor who was equal favourite in Australian Cup betting and this year the imported Gailo Chop is easing top fancy out to $3.20 through Ladbrokes.com.au.
He looks the horse to beat after making it two on the trot this time in with success at Caulfield a fortnight back in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m), the form of which has stacked up in the Australian Cup results more than any other lead-up in the past 30 years.
The dangers according to the bookies following Gailo Chop in the Australian Cup odds include market mover Almandin ($4.80) coming off a lead-up second in the Ladbrokes Mornington Cup Prelude with a big weight, his stablemate The Taj Mahal ($7) returning to racing and Nick Olive’s Peter Young Stakes second-placed mare Single Gaze ($7.50).
Earlier we published a comprehensive Australian Cup 2018 Form Guide & Betting Preview, our insider tips below based on the race facts and stats uncovered there.
1st
#11 Single Gaze ($7.50)
Mares don’t win the Australian Cup, but think the hoodoo can be broken by the ultra-consistent Nick Olive-trained Single Gaze in 2018. The last was Makybe Diva (2005) and while Single Gaze isn’t the same calibre, she’s still very good. Looking to break a winning drought going back to June last year, but in the meantime she’s run second in a Caulfield Cup, CF Orr and the Peter Young Stakes. She was luckless two back in the Orr over 1400m suffering a horror run only to go down a nostril flare as a roughie hope behind Hartnell. Improved but narrowly beaten again in the Peter Young, which she can go one better than here getting out over 2000m.
2nd
# 10 Homesman ($10)
Lloyd Williams’ new head trainer Liam Howley saddles-up three in the field and the longest priced of the trio is Homesman. Find the double-figures attractive on the untapped import, a four-year-old son of War Front who made an immediate impact down under defeating his Melbourne Cup winning stablemate Almandin in the Mornington Cup Prelude (2000m) on Blue Diamond Day. Carried 56.6kg to Almandin’s 60kg there, but meets him worse at WFA. Still, think he’s got more upside now tested in Australia and boasting a great record over the distance (4:2-0-1). Gets a good run from gate three, 38% Win Rate second only to Gailo Chop (48%) and looks an Each Way chance at a price.
3rd
#4 Gailo Chop ($3.20)
Weir-trained favourite looking to go back-to-back for the stable and ticks too many boxes to leave out. Fairly poor record by the punters’ picks in this race, but the lead-up has been flawless. Not even 100% fit and managed successive lead-up wins, looking especially good on the pace in the Peter Young Stakes. Fiorente (2014) did the double four years ago and this horse is easing to be the next. Specialist at 2000m (11:6-0-0) so the extra 200m will suit.
Now is the time to get behind our exclusive Australian Cup 2018 betting tips online at the right price through Ladbrokes.com.au.
