Neds Easter Cup Day will take place at Cauflield on Saturday and nine exciting races packed with talent are on the program.
I’ve run the rule over every one, and you can find my complete Neds Easter Cup Day tips below.
This is an open race to begin Easter Cup Day and a horse like Blinder has claims on winning at a nice price ($13 at publish).
Blinder hasn’t been seen at the races since November, but he returned plenty of pleasing efforts last time in, and he races well fresh.
Happy to have a small each-way play at the price.
Agreeable will take good improvement into her second campaign start and will take plenty of beating as well.
The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained filly found form around some quality gallopers last time in and finished fifth in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas most notably.
There was a lot to like about her resuming effort for third at Sandown a few weeks ago and Jamie Kah stays aboard on Saturday.
Lloyd Kennewell elected to bypass the Neds Blue Diamond with Marine One and he’ll return from a fresh-up in this Listed race.
The well-bred colt has made just three appearances at the races so far, each in black type company, and he has raced well around some good horses without a lot of luck.
This looks to be the easiest task for which he has been set, and Zac Spain should be able to find a nice position from barrier 7.
Military Parade returned the first flat effort of her career in the Bendigo Guineas last week, but this is a drop in class from that race and I am happy to give her another chance at Caulfield on Saturday.
The classy filly finished second at each of her first two career starts and broke her maiden at Canterbury prior to last week’s miss.
I’m confident that she’ll take improvement into this race and she has options from barrier 1.
Snapper is unlucky not to have won each start that he has had back from a spell this time, but looks up to recording another on Easter Cup Day.
The three-year-old son of Power won in maiden company at The Valley when resuming, continuing his rise through the grades with another easy triumph in BM64 company before just missing behind War Correspondent last time.
Fitter fourth-up and with Jye McNeil jumping back into the saddle, he looks a touch of overs at his current price ($10 at publish).
This looks like being the race of the day – plenty of quality sprinters like Diamond Effort, Octane and Alfa Oro will resume, and will be joined by some fit runners like Sword Of Mercy.
I’m too big a fan of Alfa Oro not to back him, so I’m going to go that way.
Alfa Oro went to another level in 2020 and won five of his seven starts before ending his year fourth in the Caulfield Sprint at this track and trip.
He returned a nice trial in the lead-up to this and he is yet to finish worse than second when fresh.
An outstanding race made even moreso by its name, and this could very well be the strongest ever edition of the Neds Easter Cup with names like Vow And Declare, Persan, Harlem and Constantinople all confirmed to start.
In saying that, Persan simply doesn’t know how to run a bad race these days and I am happy to stick with him.
Persan went to a new level in the spring, finding form around some outstanding gallopers and ending his prep fifth in the Melbourne Cup.
He picked up where he left off with a smart win over 2040m at The Valley and this looks the perfect second-up race for him.
This is also set to be an outstanding edition of the Victoria Handicap, boasting names like Mr Quickie, So Si Bon, Greyworm, Age Of Chivalry, Pretty Brazen and Begood Toya Mother.
Even in considering all of those names, I’m going to have something on classy Tasmanian Still A Star at around the $11 mark.
Still A Star stamped herself as a runner to follow during her three-year-old season, which saw her win a bunch of black type races like the Tasmanian Guineas, Launceston Guineas and the Tasmanian Oaks.
She returned from a long spell to win the Group 3 Vamos Stakes in February, but was outclassed in the All-Star Mile last time.
Fitter third-up, dropping in class and with just 54kgs in tow, I think she can and will bounce back.
Shandy was an impressive winner first-up from a spell and looks well placed to record another on Easter Cup Day.
The Fiorente mare won three in a row last prep before ending her campaign down the order in the Naturalism Stakes, and charged in to score in BM84 company at Sandown when resuming.
With improvement from that run, she can win again.