Toorak Handicap Preview and Tips 12/10/24

How good is this? Three Group One races to sink our teeth into! We’ve got an epic day of racing lined up on Saturday, with racing fans flocking to Caulfield Racecourse for all three of the Group One races. The Spring Racing Carnival will only continue to heat up over the next few weeks.

The three major races to take place this weekend include the Toorak Handicap, the Caulfield Guineas and the Might and Power Stakes. Non-stop action is the order of the day at Caulfield Racecourse, so make sure your only play is sitting in front of the TV watching all the action (if you can’t make it to the track, that is!).

I can’t wait to share my Saturday tips for the Toorak Handicap with our loyal OnlyRacing readers. I’ve crunched the numbers, looked at the entire field and found some runners that I think are going to excel in the race this year. All my best bets have landed, so let’s check them out.

The speed of the race is probably going to come down to how fast Wishlor Lass wants to take it. The mare looks to be the clear leader, so it’s up to her. Antino might look to cut across and settle in near the front of the field with a bit of cover, coming from a wider barrier.

The current pre-race favourite, Another Wil, will likely sit near the front of the pack as well, looking for the perfect time to strike. He won’t have to put in too much effort to find the right position either, jumping from barrier one. Settling in the first few seems to be Another Wil’s bread and butter.

Yes, I am picking the favourite here and while that might be a bit boring, I’m not confident any of his competitors can turn the tables on him. Favourites do have a fair record in the Toorak Handicap as well, so I’m hoping that plays its role in getting Another Wil his first Group One win.

The pre-race favourite is currently paying $2.80 to win the Toorak Handicap with PlayUp, so there’s still a little bit of value there. Another Wil comes into this one with some winning form under his belt and has achieved back-to-back wins in this prep so far. His efforts in the Testa Rossa Stakes were excellent and he will be all the fitter for that run.

If Another Wil doesn’t fire, I think Antino will be the one to swoop in and claim his first Group One victory. After Another Wil, it’s a pretty open field, but I think Antino will be the one to watch and most likely to claim a victory if things don’t work out for Another Wil. The gelding is currently paying $4.80 for the win at Bet365.

Antino has had a decent enough prep so far, without breaking through for a win. He has finished third in both the Makybe Diva Stakes and the Feehan Stakes. Those races had some quality runners in them, so I expect he’ll be right up there in this one. If he can jump cleanly and settle in well from the wide barrier, watch out for him late.

The Kiwi star is back in Australia and I’m excited to see what she can produce in the 2024 Toorak Handicap. The multiple Group One winner is currently paying $10 to win the race, thanks to our friends at Dabble. Her Autumn was awesome to say the least, winning the Vinery Stud Stakes and finishing third in the Australian Oaks.

The mare has six wins from eleven starts (plus two seconds and one third as well). She is unbeaten at the mile over two starts and while her first-up run this prep wasn’t anything to write home about, she drops a massive 6.5kg in for the Toorak Handicap, so she’ll feel like a new woman. The clear value runner in my mind.

At current odds of $12.50 with QuestBet, I not only think Alsephina is the danger to watch in this one but also presents a bit of value as well for good measure. She is known to be a strong finisher and has started this prep in fine form. I think she can raise a few eyebrows in this one, so make sure you keep an eye on her.

She finished third in the Group Two Let's Elope Stakes, in a race that I don’t think suited her very well and then won the Group Two Stocks Stakes at Moonee Valley last time out, despite being held up. Her overall record is excellent but she is yet to win a Group One in six attempts. She carries the minimum weight here and I think she’ll surprise a few. 

There’s a lot of value floating around here, but my best roughie of the race has to go to Osipenko, who is paying $12 to win the race at the time of writing, thanks to Bet Right. The 5YO hasn’t done much so far this prep in terms of raw results but the potential is there and I don’t want to not be on him the time he comes good.

If you look a little deeper into his two runs in this prep, he finished ninth in the Group Two Theo Marks Stakes by 2.7L and in the Group Two Shannon Stakes, he finished in fourth place, just 1.7L off the pace. While I don’t think he can win this one, he does have the effort and potential to run top three.

All my Toorak Handicap horse racing tips and their odds can be found here:

Bookmaker	Tip	Odds
	Another Wil (win)	$2.80
	Antino (each-way)	$4.80/$1.90
	Orchestral (place)	$3.00
	Alsephina (place)	$3.40
	Osipenko (place)	$3.30