Newmarket Handicap Preview and Tips 08/03/25

With four Group One races this weekend, there’s a lot of on-track action! We have the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington Racecourse, as well as the All-Star Mile. Then, down in Sydney, we have the Randwick Guineas and the Canterbury Stakes at Randwick Racecourse.

A nice field awaits us for the Newmarket Handicap on Saturday, with 15 runners expected to take part. It’s a fairly open field as well, with five runners listed with odds before $5.00 and $9.50 at the time of writing with PlayUp. Joliestar is the current favourite and jumps from barrier eight.

The Autumn Racing Carnival is really heating up and you don’t want to miss all my Saturday tips for the Newmarket Handicap at OnlyRacing. I’ve put together five best bets for the race on Saturday and I’ve found a roughie that I think may surprise. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dig in!

We’ve got a couple of runners with some barrier speed, in the likes of Growing Empire and Ostraka, so I’m expecting a moderate pace for the 2025 Newmarket Handicap. Growing Empire is one of the more favoured runners in the market (on the second line of betting) and it looks like he’ll try to take the lead in this one.

The current pre-race favourite, Joliestar doesn’t have the same barrier speed and will probably look to settle in just off the leaders with some cover. It’s a field of 15, so the barrier draw and settling position will come into play here. The runner that settles in at the perfect position for their racing style is going to have a significant leg up on the rest of the field.

An open field means there’s plenty of value floating around and I actually like the look of Growing Empire for this one. I know he let us down in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes last time out, but I’m willing to take another chance. At the moment, you can pick up Growing Empire for $7.50 at PlayUp.

Looking for a redemption run from Growing Empire here and he gets the blinkers off again. Jockey Mark Zahra sticks with him as well. Gets a good barrier and with his early speed, he’ll look to cut across and take the lead (hopefully without expending too much energy). Hasn’t won a Group One yet, but has placed in The Everest and the Manikato Stakes.

I have to put down Rey Magnerio as a serious contender for the Newmarket Handicap this year. He is one of four with Bet365 that is in with single-digit odds, currently at $9.00. The gelding presents a bit of value as well and that’s hard for me to pass up. He’s coming through the Oakleigh Plate where he finished third.

In that race, he was behind the likes of Jimmyssta and She’s Bulletproof. Rey Magnerio is a consistent runner, he has finished top three in his last seven races and this includes two wins, one in the Rubiton Stakes (Group Two) and another in the Always Welcome Stakes (Listed). He’s another who will enjoy the Flemington track and draws well.

Females don’t have the best record in the Newmarket Handicap (with just four winners since 2008), but Stretan Angel is good enough to take a chance on and I think a top-three run here isn’t out of the question. The mare is currently going around with odds of $8.50 at Dabble, so if you’re looking for value, Rey Magnerio and Stretan Angel are your best bets in my eyes.

The 4YO seems to perform well at Flemington, she was one length off in the Champions Sprint during the 2024 Spring Racing Carnival (behind Sunshine In Paris). She has proven that she belongs at this level now, with a runner-up performance in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes as well as The Goodwood (in 2024). Worth a chance.

As I mentioned above, females don’t have a good record here, but Joliestar does have to be considered a massive danger in this one and she is currently the favourite with QuestBet, going around with odds of $5.25. She jumped as the favourite last time out in the Expressway Stakes and had excuses, but did finish third, 0.5L behind Magic Time.

She has won twice across 1,200m and could have finished closer in The Everest if it wasn’t for some poor luck. The 4YO is already a Group One winner, in the Thousand Guineas in 2023. She has to be respected, that’s for sure, but I do think others in this have a better chance of taking the win.

I’ve found a double-digit roughie that I think could raise a few eyebrows come Saturday. Ostraka is currently listed with odds of $17 for the win, thanks to Bet Right. The gelding will be competing in just his second Group One after finishing ninth out of 16 in the Oakleigh Plate last time out.

He has been making progress as was highlighted last Spring Racing Carnival where he claimed a hat-trick of victories. His Oakleigh Plate run was also his first go at an anti-clockwise run, so he did have excuses. He has had a bit of success at this distance as well, so I think he is worth a chance.

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

Bookmaker	Tip	Odds
	Growing Empire (win)	$7.50
	Rey Magnerio (each-way)	$9.00/$2.90
	Stretan Angel (place)	$2.90
	Joliestar (place)	$2.15
	Ostraka (place)	$5.00