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THE LAST SAY: Tips, inside mail and track conditions for today’s racing on 2025 Doomben Cup Day

Pride Of Jenni is chasing history in today’s Group 1 $1 million Doomben Cup (2000m) while the big wet hasn’t stopped Randwick. Get all the information you need to back a winner right around Australia.

Ray Thomas
7 min read
May 24, 2025 - 10:31AM
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Pride Of Jenni is poised to become the first reigning Horse of the Year to win the Group 1 $1 million Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben today.

The great Might And Power did win the 1998 Doomben Cup the same season he won his first Horse of the Year title. He retained the title in 1998-99.

But Pride Of Jenni, the Ciaron Maher-trained mare who shares an exciting frontrunning style with Might And Power, is the $3.40 favourite to win her first Group 1 this season, the fourth of her career, and to take her earnings to past the $11 million prizemoney barrier.

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Pride Of Jenni has won two of her three starts this campaign including the Anniversary

Vase under 61kg at Caulfield last start.

Jockey Craig Newitt will send Pride Of Jenni to the front early and try to dictate terms. If the mare gets any sort of control up front, she will be very difficult to run down.

The Doomben meeting features six stakes races including the Group 3 $300,000 BRC Sprint (1300m) in which Willaidow will be attempting to do his own “Pride Of Jenni impersonation” from the front.

• ‘Must be the J-Mac tax’: Owner surprised at Doomben Cup plunge

At Royal Randwick, the 10-race program is going ahead on a very heavy track surface after Sydney and much of the NSW coastline has endured a week-long deluge with record flood levels in some areas of the state.

There are no stakes races but Chris Waller’s tough mare Ahuriri could earn a trip to Brisbane if she maintains winning form, while the consistent Cool Jakey is striving to stretch his brilliance over the famous Randwick mile course.

The nine-race Sandown Hillside meeting features the emerging Changing Colours who is set to put behind her an exasperating run of minor placings. Sydney sprinter Accredited has also gone to Melbourne in search of a drier track surface.

Murray Bridge is hosting the main South Australian meeting while the NSW’s big wet has resulted in the Newcastle provincial meeting being moved to Monday, with Nowra races scheduled for Sunday abandoned.

• TIPS FROM THE BIG BOOKIES: Late mail from the bagmen for today’s racing

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ROYAL RANDWICK
Weather: Mild, sunny day and a forecast top temperature of 22c.
Track: Heavy (9).
Rail: 10m out 1600m to the winning post.

DOOMBEN
Weather: Mild, sunny day and a forecast top temperature of 25c.
Track: Soft (5).
Rail: 2m out.

SANDOWN
Weather: Cool, partly cloudy day with showers clearing and a forecast top temperature of 19c.
Track: Soft (5).
Rail: 3m out.

MURRAY BRIDGE
Weather: Mild, cloudy day with some showers developing mainly in the afternoon and a forecast top temperature of 21c.
Track: Good (4).
Rail: 3m out from 1200m chute, true remainder.

• BIG BETS: The key betting moves right around the country today

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BE WARY

Randwick has been hit with more than 180mls of rain this week, including nearly 80mls in a 24-hour period to early Friday. Remarkably, despite the deluge Randwick has been rated a heavy 9 for today’s meeting, with fine weather predicted. The rail is out 10m so expect jockeys to steer wide in the straight looking for better going. Doomben’s track surface is a soft 5 but improving and should get back into the good range for the Doomben Cup meeting. Watch the early races to determine if there is any track bias. Sandown has tipped into the soft 5 range after some overnight showers.

• LAURIE’S LONGSHOTS: Laurie Sainsbury’s best value plays for today’s racing, including $26 tip that’s set to improve sharply

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ROYAL RANDWICK TIPS

BEST BET: Race 5 No.7 AHURIRI finished powerfully wide out to win second-up at Canterbury over 1900m on a heavy track. She’s a handy mare with good wet track form and getting out to 2400m is her distance range. She’s a tough stayer who won the VRC St Leger over 2800m last year. Ahuriri should be at her peak after recent racing and is the one to beat.

THE NEXT BEST: Race 8 No.3 GREEN FLY demonstrated his talent with a barnstorming first-up win at Rosehill last month when he came from a seemingly impossible position to collar Cool Jakey near the line. The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Green Fly has only had once start since and got a long way back early before running on for fifth to stablemate Punch Lane over 1500m at Randwick. Green Fly gets out to the Randwick mile which should suit and he gets his preferred heavy track conditions. If he gets clear galloping room from the turn, he will be very hard to hold out.

VALUE BET: Race 3 No.1 MY LAST HOORAY was a heavy track winner at Goulburn earlier in his career when the track was bottomless. He’s had three runs back this campaign, racing well each time, including his last start effort when he finished strongly for a close third at Warwick Farm. The underrated My Last Hooray has topweight for the Highway but gets the benefit of the apprentice’s 3kg claim, he handles wet tracks and is terrific value around $18.

THE WHISPER: Race 1 No.5 AGARWOOD, a well-bred daughter of Coolmore’s boom sire Wootton Bassett, created a huge impression winning on debut at Warwick Farm earlier this month. She showed tactical speed to take up a position then accelerated clear to win by a widening margin. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Agarwood ran the 1000m in 57.56s, which was a smart gallop considering the soft 6 track rating, and she sprinted her final 600m in 33.97s with a closing 200m split in 11.54s. Agarwood’s overall winning time and her sectionals were faster than what today’s rival REGULATED AFFAIR (2) recorded winning his juvenile division the same day. Agarwood has drawn a little awkwardly but bank on her early speed to get across and then her strength at the finish.

• EXPERT TIPS: Professional punter James Molony’s race-by-race tips and analysis for Randwick on Saturday

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DOOMBEN TIPS

BEST BET: Race 3 No.1 SUNRAYS won her first three starts, all at Doomben, over the 1110m course before she chased home the brilliant Beadman when second in the Ken Russell Memorial. Sunrays bumped into a real talent last start and may not have been suited by the heavy track but still tried hard to finish second. She is going out to 1350m but is well suited at level weight. Back her with confidence.

NEXT BEST: Race 8 No.12 PRIDE OF JENNI is the reigning Horse of the Year and she has recaptured some of her best form since making a comeback earlier this autumn. She was dominant winning the Peter Young Stakes first-up, had legitimate excuses for her Australian Cup loss, but cruised home under 61kg in the Anniversary Vase. Pride Of Jenni is back to weight-for-age, looks likely to get complete control up front and in this circumstance she is very tough to run down.

VALUE BET: Race 9 No.7 WILLAIDOW is flying under the radar going into the BRC Sprint. He has the early speed to negate his wide draw to cross and either lead or settle on speed in a controlling position where he is tough to run down. He’s got a good fresh record and goes to Doomben off a solid trial effort at Rosehill. The $21 being bet about him is hard to resist.

THE WHISPER: Race 7 No.6 PHILIA has reeled off three impressive wins from as many starts this campaign including her Princess Stakes effort when she scored with authority. Promising filly who makes her own luck racing on speed. Philia has had a month between runs and has to step up to 2000m but she’s trained by the astute David Vandyke, she ran out 1600m very strongly last start and can continue in her rich vein of form.

• EXPERT TIPS: Graeme Carey’s best bets, quaddie picks, race-by-race analysis and tips for Doomben Cup day

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TAB FIXED ODDS BIG BETS, MARKET MOVERS

ROYAL RANDWICK
Race 1: Agarwood $4.20-$2.50
Race 2: Strawberry Impact $11-$8
Race 3: So You Pence $2.70-$2.30, Shropshire Lad $6-$4.80
Race 4: Hurstville Zagreb $5.50-$4.20, She’s A Dealer $7.50-$6.50
Race 5: Ahuriri $4.20-$3.70
Race 6: Grand Larceny $5-$4.80, Epic Proportion $9-$6.50, Power Of The Brave $11-$7.50
Race 7: Zaphod $4.20-$3.90, Quantum Cat $11-$5, Collect Your Cash $6-$5.50 ($2000 at $6), Miracle Spin $15-$9
Race 8: Cool Jakey $3.60-$2.80, Green Fly $5-$4.80 ($2500 at $4.60)
Race 9: King Of Roseau $4.40-$4.20, Spione $6-$4.20, Boltsaver $11-$7.50
Race 10: She’s Unusual $6-$4.80

• Greg Polson’s race-by-race tips and rated prices for Royal Randwick and Wagga Riverside

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LADBROKES BIG BETS, MARKET MOVERS

ROYAL RANDWICK
Race 1: Agarwood $3.60-$2.50, Swift Legend $61-$126-$46
Race 2: No significant bets or market moves
Race 3: A Pound Of Salt $17-$11, Plenitude $18-$14
Race 4: She’s A Dealer $11-$6.50
Race 5: All Hunky Dory $21-$9.50
Race 6: Power Of The Brave $14-$7, Miss Jennifer $18-$19-$14
Race 7: Miracle Spin $12-$9, Quantum Cat $9.50-$4.40
Race 8: Diablo Bolt $16-$18-$13
Race 9: Margie’s Boy $23-$16, Spione $6-$7-$3.70
Race 10: Hellbent On You $13-$14-$9.50, Cosy Corner $61-$71-$27

DOOMBEN
Race 1: Brereton $8.50-$5.50, Bews $14-$7.50, Sicilian $10-$11-$6.50
Race 2: The Inflictor $5.50-$4.20
Race 3: Sunrays $3.40-$2.30 with bets of $1000 at $3.25, $2000 at $2.35
Race 4: Manhood $8.50-$9-$6
Race 5: She’s Ours $27-$19
Race 6: Vivy Air $5.50-$3.70
Race 7: Movin’ Out $13-$16-$9, Philia $7.50-$4.60 including a bet of $970 at $4.85, Bella Montagna $23-$11
Race 8: Lindermann $12-$9, My Oberon $31-$17, Kovalica $13-$10, Osipenko $26-$16, Pride Of Jenni $4.40 to $3.80 with bets of $2000 at $4.40, $1800 at $3.80, Antino $3.75 to $3.85 with bets of $2000 at $3.75 twice, $1400 at $3.85
Race 9: War Machine $4.20- $4.40-$3.70

SANDOWN
Race 1: Miss Ole $3.60-$3.20
Race 2: Loosesomewinmore $3.90-$-$2.80
Race 3: Terilee $8-$8.50-$6.50, Ahha Ahha $6.50-$3.80, Legacy Bay $13-$20-$12
Race 4: Didn’t Miss Many $14-$10, Shockletz $20-$11
Race 5: Changing Colours $3.40-$3.10
Race 6: Air Assault $5-$3.40
Race 7: Euphoric $17-$19-$13, Ruakaka Raider $8.50-$12-$7
Race 8: Accredited $4.80-$5-$4.20 with bets of $1000 at $5.15, $1000 at $4.80, The Open $8-$11-$8
Race 9: Sunshineinmypocket $6-$6.50-$4.20, Oh Too Good $4.20-$4.40-$3.90 with bets of $2,000 at $3.90

• EXPERT TIPS: Brad Waters’ best bets, quaddie picks and race-by-race analysis for Sandown on Saturday

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INTERSTATE MAIL
Sandown Race 5 No.11 CHANGING COLOURS
Sandown Race 7 No.15 OTAGO
Sandown Race 8 No.10 ACCREDITED
Murray Bridge Race 3 No.7 ROYAL MILE
Murray Bridge Race 6 No.13 MAZOVIA

• EXPERT TIPS: Heath Pope’s best bets for Murray Bridge and Aaron Mills’ top tips for Belmont

#Good luck today and I hope you back plenty of winners

Originally published as THE LAST SAY: Tips, inside mail and track conditions for today’s racing on 2025 Doomben Cup Day

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