Feature racing goes west of Brisbane this week when nine races are run and won on the world-famous Ipswich Cup Day.
It’s a day of black rats, questionable fashion and plenty of biffo to boot, but none of that actually happens on the racetrack itself (usually), and some good betting contests are looming.
You can find all of my Ipswich Cup Day Tips below!
Defiant Spirit can keep alive his unbeaten record in the first on Ipswich Cup Day.
The Spirit Of Boom gelding showed promise at the trials prior to debuting and put the writing on the wall with a dominant effort at the Sunshine Coast at the beginning of the month.
With improvement for that experience, this looks the next logical step for him to take.
Magic Charlee is chasing a hat-trick this week and does look a live chance of getting it.
The Mark Currie-trained gelding returned to winning form with a dominant display at Chinchilla two back before striking on the Sunshine Coast at his latest.
He’s rock-hard fit and gets some relief in the weights here under Jake Molloy.
Sunfall takes winning form into Race 3 and looks well placed to make it two in a row.
Sunfall has finished worse than second only once in his last five trips to the races, winning twice and finding form around some quality gallopers.
There is no doubt that his last-start effort was his best since joining Barry Lockwood’s care, and he takes his place this week in peak order.
Flensburg looks to have found top gear and this looms as a very winnable Saturday metro grade race for him.
Flensburg returned to winning form with ease here two runs back, and he was last seen finishing a length second behind Savvy Legend.
This is probably the toughest task that he has been set recently, but he’s drawn and weighted well, and should get his chance over the staying trip.
Extremist was too bad to be true in the Helen Coughlan Stakes last time out, but I am keen to give her another chance dropping in class on Ipswich Cup Day.
The Extreme Choice mare only just missed at each of her first two runs back this time, including an eye-catching performance behind Majestic Shot in the Bright Shadow, most notably.
Drawn well and under Damien Thornton, I think this is the perfect opportunity to bounce back.
The recent form around Swiss Exile has been good, and I think he can return to winning form this week.
Swiss Exile has been a good, but sometime frustrating horse for the Neasham yard for a couple of seasons now, and it is fair to say that he doesn’t win out of turn.
He was last seen finishing fourth behind Hawaii Five Oh and Yellow Brick in the Fred Best Classic, and a repeat of that effort this week would surely see a return to the winner’s stall.
This is a strong edition of the Ipswich Cup with plenty of talented gallopers engaged, and I thought that Kiwi raider Dark Destroyer represents a bit of value at current odds ($10 at publish).
Dark Destroyer announced himself to the Queensland racing fraternity during a smart winter prep last year, in which he won the Rough Habit Plate before finishing fourth in the Queensland Derby.
Having won the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy in a hit-and-run mission in the New Zealand spring, the Proisir gelding has improved for two starts back this time, and he is ready to peak third-up and at an appropriate trip this week, and we can have an each way play.
Eye Liner Stakes betting is a wide-open affair this year and at publish, we’re looking at $6 the field.
That being said, it does look a perfect feature for Gravina, and he is going to be the one for me.
The five-year-old son of Sebring did finish down the order in Group 2 company last time out, but his form prior to that was good, and including a smart second to Opal Ridge in the Luskin Star at Scone.
He’s at peak fitness for a very suitable race and I like the booking of Ben Thompson.
The consistent Lady Laguna steps out this week in peak order and ready to win the Gai Waterhouse Classic.
The Overshare filly hasn’t missed placing at her last six trips to the races, all in featured company and around plenty of above-average opponents.
1200m is certainly her go, I like the booking of Ryan Maloney for the first time and with even luck from the draw, this really is her chance to record another deserved bit of black type.