CF Orr Stakes Preview and Tips 08/02/25

It’s finally arrived, the first Group One of the year. We will see plenty of Group One races this year and it’s all kicking off today. We head to Caulfield Racecourse for the CF Orr Stakes this Saturday and it’s worth a cool $750K. On top of the CF Orr Stakes, we also have the Inglis Millennium worth $2 million and run at Randwick Racecourse.

It’s a small field for the 2025 CF Orr Stakes, with just 10 runners expected to take part in the race. Last year’s winner, Mr Brightside is back again to defend his title after beating Pride of Jenni in 2024 by just 0.1L. Unsurprisingly, Mr Brightside is the current pre-race favourite with PlayUp, at odds of $2.60.

My Saturday tips have arrived here at OnlyRacing and I’m looking to kick the Group 1 season off with a bang. In total, I’ve selected five best bets for all you racing fans out there. This means there’s something for everyone from my best bet to my best roughie and everything in between.

Looks like the race will be run at a moderate pace, but I think a lot depends on where Mr Brightside lands from the wide-ish barrier. He usually likes to sit just behind the leaders, so watch for him early in the race. I think Schwarz will look to be the leader in this one with Another Wil being right up there as well.

Private Life will look to see just off the leaders with Mr Brightside and wait for the right time to strike. The likes of Steparty and Southport Tycoon will sit near the rear of the field, waiting until the whips are really cracking for their run home. With the moderate tempo, I think the final push might come a little earlier than expected.

Mr Brightside is back to defend his crown and he looks like the one to beat yet again. At PlayUp, Mr Brightside is the current favourite at $2.60. It was difficult to nail down a best bet, but I think Mr Brightside is the one to go with. We haven’t seen Mr Brightside race since he won the Group One Champions Mile.

He had an epic Spring Racing Carnival, which was to be expected and I think he’ll have a great Autumn Racing Carnival as well. Mr Brightside enjoys the Caulfield track and has a decent record at the 1,400m. On top of this, his first-up record is good as well, at 8:3-2-1. He draws a wide barrier, but it is a small field, so that’s not enough to deter me.

Can Another Wil breakthrough for his first Group One win of his career in the CF Orr Stakes? Well, I’m not 100% sure, but I think he’s in with a good chance. I’m surprised he hasn’t broken through yet, but he has got close, with a second place in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes last time out.

Another Wil is currently on the second line of betting with Bet365, and you can get $3.40 for him. Mr Brightside looks to be a little too classy for Another Wil, but any slip-up from the champion and Another Wil may be the one to capitalise. Jockey Jamie Melham has developed a good relationship with Another Wil and he could surprise here.

I saw the price for Southport Tycoon and I instantly thought “value”, so it’s only natural that I put him down as my value bet for the 2025 CF Orr Stakes. Dabble is currently offering double-figure odds for the two-time Group One-winning stallion, at $13. 

I would say we are getting double-figure odds due to his poor run last time out a couple of weeks ago in the Group Two Australia Stakes, where he finished fifth. But he’ll be all the fitter for that run and the cobwebs have been blown out. He gets the blinkers on again and that is the same gear change that saw him go on to win the Manikato Stakes!

One runner that I think is a little overlooked in the market is Private Life. The Chris Waller-trained colt is already a Group One winner and has over $2 million in prize money to his name. He has had a couple of trials so far this year which were decent and I reckon Waller is looking towards bigger things in the Autumn for Private Life.

QuestBet is currently offering $9.25 for Private Life to take the win. He picked up his first Group One win last prep in the Caulfield Guineas and after his trials in Sydney, I reckon he is ready to make his mark. Watch for him in this one, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him take down some of the bigger names.

A runner that I think could make a splash in the 2025 CF Orr Stakes on Saturday is Pinstriped. The gelding is currently going around with odds of $17 thanks to Bet Right. Pinstriped will need a couple of things to go his way, but with Mr Brightside and Another Wil likely fighting it out just of the leaders, this could work in Pinstriped’s favour.

The 6YO is lightly raced, only competing in 27 races so far in his career and he has a pretty decent first-up record as well, which sits at 7:2-3-0. I expect he will look to stay out of trouble after drawing the widest barrier of them all and sit near the rear of the field for one last chance to storm home. I can see him running top three here.

All my CF Orr Stakes horse racing tips and their odds can be found here:

Bookmaker	Tip	Odds
	Mr Brightside (win)	$2.60
	Another Wil (each-way)	$3.40/$1.55
	Southport Tycoon (place)	$3.30
	Private Life (place)	$2.45
	Pinstriped (place)	$3.80