2025 The Ingham Day Tips & Preview

HYPERBOLIC (4) has firmed into deserving favouritism in the first on The Ingham Day and I’m happy to follow the money trail on this Brad Widdup trained mare considering the forecast.

With rain around on Friday we’re likely to see a Soft track and that plays perfectly into the hands of this bonny four-year-old daughter of Proisir.

She’s yet to see a mile but looks the right type to see it out, and she’ll come in confident having saluted at Rosehill defeating her own kind in a BM78 on November 29 by a good margin.

Goes up a kilo but has Tommy Berry sticking with from a favourable alley with conditions to suit.

Third-up, fit and starting to show her abilities now.

Expect her to sit just off the pace and give them a good show late.

Short distance specialists on display in Race 2 on The Ingham Day 2025 and, while this is an open affair with a host of livewire chances, I’m finding it hard to tip against the favourite LADY OLENNA (1) from the low draw.

Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich are going great guns and saddle-up this progressive four-year-old Shalaa mare who sees Randwick for the first time but has carted plenty more weight to victory over this distance.

She presents fitter second-up after catching the eye at Rosehill on November 29 crossing a length back second to Shenandoah River over 1100m with 57kg from gate 12 of 14 to kick off her summer campaign.

Fresh she attacked the line with sharp late splits from the wide alley, sticking on bravely against similar company.

Back to 1000m she’ll be flying, she’s drawn the rails and comes back in weight to 55.5kg to further aid her cause.

One that will benefit from the likely Soft track, she’s got a good hoop in Kerrin McEvoy coming aboard and gets the ideal set‑up to perform again profiling as a genuine contender with winning claims for the punters.

Looking like a day for favourite backers early on at Randwick, and again I’m on the top elect in the third despite OUI OUI OUI (18) drawing out near the carpark.

Jason Attard’s nicely bred daughter of former The Everest champion Yes Yes Yes is a promising four-year-old who is proven on Soft – Heavy going so the predicted rain is welcome.

The 1200m suits her to a tee as she’s already a two-time winner from three goes at the distance.

This is her first time at Randwick but her resuming run at Newcastle last month was a beauty.

With 58.5kg over 1250m she saluted as the odds-on fancy in a BM64, and I think she can improve off that and go back-to-back.

Favourable weight drop to 55.5kg and the airborne Tom Sherry sticks in the saddle but she’ll need to work to find a position from the gate.

She’ll be back early but has the potential at her best form to make up the late ground and get into the money.

LAUREL HILL (1) is at $23 for the fourth at time of publish, and that’s a very attractive price for a little Each-Way flutter on a mare who is in terrific form.

With a host of the better fancied drawn wide, this six-year-old daughter of Smart Missile gets the favours from gate one.

Her 1200m record is pretty solid (17:3-4-5) and the big tick is the predicted Soft conditions which she’ll thrive on.

She comes off back-to-back wins in easier company and isn’t out of place in this field.

Two back she had a narrow margin to spare on the line over She Swings at Newcastle in a 1400m event before winning by over a length having made up all the ground from right back with 55.5kg over 1250m at the Kensington track on December 5.

I like her on the quick back-up down notably in weight with just 53kg.

Dylan Gibbons, who rode her to victory at Newcastle, comes back aboard and she’ll be focused on that finishing post with the winkers added.

More than capable of surprising a few.

Good prize money on offer for the two-year-olds in the Inglis Nursery 2025 where all in the field are maidens.

That makes it tough from a punter’s perspective, but I’ve landed on the early market mover BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (1) who still looks the value.

Drawn the rails with Timmy Clark coming aboard, Tony & Calvin McEvoy’s untapped Prague colt has his second career run here.

He debuted on a big race day down in Melbourne when two lengths back third behind Calamari Ring in the Inglis Banner and now heads north to try and get a win on the board.

Having hit the line impressively despite the conditions on Champions Stakes Day, he showed he’s taken the right steps forward having been kept fit with a winning trial at Albury late last month.

Should naturally improve off his run at HQ, comes back from 58kg to 56kg, the stable is good with the youngsters, and he profiles as a major threat for mine especially with the tongue-tie going on.

ROTAGILLA (8) is the horse to beat in Race 6 from the Waller yard.

The flying All Too Hard four-year-old is putting together a nice record now and comes off a super consistent prep.

He has won two of his past three, including defeating Meridiana home at Rosehill over 1800m in a BM78 by three-quarters of a length on November 29 in a form race I do like.

Carted 59kg to victory that day and will appreciate coming back to 56.5kg here with Tim Clark continuing associations.

Favourable mid-field draw with options, he’s taking all the right steps and handles all conditions so no query there.

This is a notable rise in grade but was so good with that big weight last time out I can’t go past him.

Strong predicted tempo works to his advantage and he’s at his pet distance again.

Wins.

Tricky edition of the Christmas Cup with some former top-line stayers looking to return to form.

Surprised but also not surprised to see HOLLYWOOD HERO (5) topping the markets and he’s my pick despite having only won up to 1600m to date.

Definitely a distance query but there’s plenty of support coming for Bjorn Baker’s Sacred Falls six-year-old including from me.

Was runner-up by a narrow margin behind Osipenko in the Little Dance here at the start of November and has run third in his subsequent two outings.

The latest had him too lengths off Major Beel in the Listed ATC Cup (2000m) at Rosehill on November 29 which looks a good form line to follow.

Sticks on 53kg with Ashley Morgan in the saddle once more.

Baker is enjoying plenty of success of late and I respect his decision to give this guy a go at the mile and a half fifth-up and ready to peak.

If he saves early energy, I can see him running the distance.

SABAJ (21) might be facing a tricky draw in The Ingham, but I’m taking note of this progressive four‑year‑old who continues to rise through the ranks at the right time.

The Manhattan Rain gelding has been building momentum all spring, and fourth‑up he looks primed to peak.

After resuming with a sixth in the Silver Eagle, he found confidence on Champions Stakes Day at Flemington, carrying a hefty 59.5kg to a dominant two‑length win over the mile.

He franked that form with a tough Cranbourne Cup victory against a strong line‑up, relishing the drop to 54kg.

This weekend he sheds another kilo to just 53kg, with Beau Mertens sticking in the saddle, and that’s a big tick.

The wide gate is a challenge, but with favourite GRINGOTTS also drawn awkwardly, SABAJ has the upside and closing power to overcome the barrier and be charging late into the finish.

Beauty of a field in the penultimate event and while I could see just about anything winning the Razor Sharp this year without surprise, I’m going with the Hawkes trained BRAVE ONE (10).

Not concerned about the gate considering he’s shown his class from wider out than this to win some quality events throughout the year.

His consistency is second to none with the Exceedance four-year-old having run out of the money just twice from his nine career starts.

Has won three of his past four, including a last start Newcastle victory in mid-November over 1300m in a BM94 with 54kg.

Career-best from him there with more good things pending.

He controlled the race from the front to score decisively and only gains confidence from it.

Back a kilo now with Dylan Gibbons engaged again, and the horse returns to Randwick where he’s got a lovely strike-rate (3:2-1-0).

Very good on Soft – Heavy going so is likely to firm in the markets if that rain arrives.

Should slot in with cover and short of something going amiss for him in the run, I think they’ll struggle to reel him in.

Big and open field for the card closer, and I’m keen to have a little Each-Way play on VERBIL (11) from the Archibald yard.

The apprentice claim from the in-form Braith Nock puts this consistent Fastnet Rock five-year-old in the mix weight-wise as he comes back in distance off a solid 1550m performance boxing on well at Canterbury in a BM72 on November 28.

With 60kg on his back he ran 1.6 lengths fourth to Forecaster and lines-up well to improve off of it.

Run prior he won over that same distance at Canterbury by more than a length, he hasn’t finished out of the top four yet and I expect that will remain the case come Saturday arvo.