Australian Cup Preview and Tips 29/03/25

After the excitement of six Group One races on one day, we are back again this week with three epic high-quality races to sink our teeth into. Starting at Flemington Racecourse, we have the Australian Cup and then in Sydney, we also have the Tancred Stakes along with the Vinery Stud Stakes.

The Australian Cup is a WFA event and is contested over 2,000m. In 2025, we see a field of 10 runners confirmed for the event with the likes of Pride Of Jenni, Middle Earth, Atishu, Zardozi and others all fighting it out for the lion’s share of the $2.5 million that is up for grabs on Saturday.

It’s going to be a great day of racing and my Saturday tips have landed here at OnlyRacing for the Australian Cup. I also have tips for the other two Group One races on this day, so make sure you check those articles out as well. After going through the entire Australian Cup field, I have put together my best bets for the race.

Things are usually pretty simple when Pride Of Jenni is involved. The mare will look to lead post-to-post, which she is usually able to do, at a fast tempo. However, I don’t think she’ll have it all her way like she did last time out, with Deny Knowledge likely to challenge her. If he does, she’ll have to pick up the pace and this could tire her out in the closing stages.

Middle Earth is another with decent barrier speed, but he jumps out wide (from barrier eight), so he’ll probably look to settle in just off the leader/s. Runners like Zardozi, Attrition and Atishu will enjoy the fast tempo out front, conserving their speed and letting down in the closing stages, looking to run over the top of the leaders in the end.

The speed map concerns me a bit about Pride Of Jenni, so instead of tipping the favourite, I’m going with Zardozi, who seems to be the one that will benefit the most from the fast tempo out front. Zardozi is currently on the equal fourth line of betting with odds of $6.50 at PlayUp, which also presents decent value as well.

The favourite doesn’t usually have a good record in the Australian Cup as well, with only four favourites winning the race since 2004. The mare is coming through the Peter Young Stakes where she finished second to Pride Of Jenni. Zardozi was only able to get going late in that one and the speed map works better this time out. Enjoys Flemington as well.

While the speed map (with Deny Knowledge likely to give Pride Of Jenni a run for her money out front) isn’t ideal, she is still an extremely classy horse and is good enough to win this. The market thinks so as well and the mare is currently going around as the $3.00 favourite, with Bet365.

As you already know, she came into this one after winning the Peter Young Stakes first up, by 2.3L. That run was her first back since Spring when she suffered a bleeding attack. The stable even essentially retired her but has her back in fine fiddle again. I think she’ll have to work hard for this victory, but barrier one does help her chances.

At $19 with Dabble at the time of writing, I think Attrition is one of the best value plays of the day at Flemington Racecourse. The Group One winner produced a great run late in the Blamey Stakes last time out and when he finally got the space he needed, he was storming home. 

He finished ahead of Zardozi in that one as well and ended up running the fastest last 200m of the race. The 2,000m is a little bit of an unknown as the stallion has yet to contest the distance, but he did win the Hill Stakes in Spring, which is run at 1,900m. Attrition could be a solid WFA horse and I’m surprised to see him around the $20 mark.

Atishu is another mare in the Australian Cup that I think has the potential to shine. I had Atishu as my best bet for this race in 2024 when she was paying $4.80 and she ended up finishing 2L off the leader in third place. In 2025, the mare is on the equal third line of betting for the Australia Cup, with odds of $6.75, thanks to QuestBet.

We haven’t seen the 7YO since the All-Star Mile and she finished fifth in that race, but I don’t think that set up was to her liking. I think she’ll enjoy the step up in trip and on top of that, she is another that enjoys the wide open spaces that Flemington will give her. She has multiple Group One victories at Flemington and she’s coming into this one pretty fit.

For my best roughie, I’m having a little bit of a throw at the stumps with Young Werther, who is currently paying $61 for the win at Bet Right, which puts him as the biggest long shot in the race. The 7YO has a Group One record of 12:0-2-3, so it’s not like he doesn’t know how to compete at the highest level.

Last time out, in the Australian Cup Prelude, he finished in seventh place, but did pull up lame in that one, so don’t read too much into that one. In the Australian Cup Prelude, he jumped out very well and for this one, he just might give Pride Of Jenni a run for her money out front. Worth a small play at the place odds I reckon.

All my Australian Cup horse racing tips and their odds can be found here:

Bookmaker	Tip	Odds
	Zardozi (win)	$6.50
	Pride Of Jenni (each-way)	$3.00/$1.50
	Attrition (place)	$4.20
	Atishu (place)	$2.20
	Young Werther (place)	$9.00