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Kingsford Smith Cup Tips - Runner-by-Runner Guide for the Eagle Farm Group 1
- Runner-by-Runner Guide to the Kingsford Smith Cup
- Who will take out the Eagle Farm Group 1?
- Can In Secret beat I Wish I Win?
Expired

In Secret (Getty Images)
The Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup is run over 1300m at Eagle Farm under weight-for-age conditions and is a traditional lead up race for the Stradbroke Handicap.
First run in 1964, the race has been won by some champion horses including Strawberry Road (1983), Apache Cat (2018) and Black Caviar 2011).
This year’s edition has attracted a truly phenomenal field of quality horses and we’ve gone through every one of them below.
1.I Wish I Win (1)
It’s been a while in between wins for the Mooy and Coleman trained gelding, but since his last win in the T.J Smith in 2023, he has not been beaten more than half a length.
Bella Nipotina has beaten him by the barest of margins in his last two race starts including the Doomben 10,000 a fortnight ago but he’s favoured to beat her again if you believe the market.
The step up to 1300m is a positive for him but he’s going to need luck from the inside barrier and will need the gaps to open at the right time in the straight.
2.Think About It (8)
Took the Queensland winter carnival by storm last year, concluding in a Group 1 win in the Stradbrokes Handicap.
Joe Pride had hoped that his sar horse would perform when stepping him out over distance but that plan has failed and instead of tipping the horse out and trying again, he’s kept him in work.
I don’t like this plan one bit and while his best is good enough to measure up at this level, he’s going to need to recapture a bit of form.
3.Tuvalu (3)
Was placed in three of five starts during his spring campaign including a narrow defeat in the Group 2 Crystal Mile at The Valley.
Lead throughout when winning at Listed level at Warrnambool first up over 1200m and he’s one from one over 1300m.
Has been placed four times from six career starts at Group 1 level and has drawn to get a lovely run in transit from barrier three.
4.Uncommon James (11)
Has been a very consistent performer during his short career and has actually been unplaced only three times from 15 starts.
Two of those unplaced runs have been this campaign and he failed to fire a shot behind Antino last time out when beaten over 14 lengths.
His best is good enough to be competitive but he’d need to find a semblance of his best form.
He is one that is way over the odds and could run a cheeky race on speed.
5.Antino (12)
Probably the most progressive type in the entire field and he comes into his second Group 1 with a good winning record of 10 wins in just 15 career starts.
He was beaten by the barest of margins in his first go at the highest level, just missing in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap during the spring and he returned with a dominant win at Group 2 level here at Eagle Farm two weeks ago.
He’ll need to go to another level in a really god field full of group 1 winners but we are getting a good price to find out whether he’s up to it.
6.Cepheus (7)
Found career best form during the spring last year when winning two high grade races at Rosehill and was then beaten just over a length in the Big Dance.
Both runs this campaign of failed to live up to expectations and going on that form, the triple figures seems about right.
7.Osipenko (5)
Was a young horse that showed a tonne of natural talent and he managed a win at both Group 2 and Group 3 level.
He failed to win during a long spring campaign but he was competitive at times including a placing in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.
One of his three career wins has been first up but never at this level.
8.Freedom Rally (10)
Both runs this prep have been good without winning and he has really well supporting in betting last time out when narrowly beaten by Here To Shock.
This looks a bit too big a step up in grade for him and would be better suited to he Fred Best Classic.
9.Bella Nipotina (2)
She’s been incredibly consistent and at times unlucky throughout her career but she secured her second Group 1 two weeks ago in the Doomben 10,000.
She often arrives just at the wrong time in races to be beaten by a short margin but she has the wood over I Wish I Win albeit by the smallest of margins!
Yet we continue to get a far better price!
You know she’s going to be in the finish and she’s a good each way price. Yet again.
10.In Secret (4)
The Godolphin team have set this two-time Group 1 winning mare for these winter Group 1 races and she is somewhat of the x-factor in the race.
The daughter of I Am Invincible is already an expensive broodmare having had six starts at the top level and has been unplaced only once.
She was beaten a length in The Everest during the spring last year and she hasn’t been seen since except for a few nice trials leading into this.
Can’t be discounted.
11.Magic Time (9)
Comes into this race off the back of a career spike performance in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes at Randwick on the heaviest of heavy tracks.
That was the sixth win of her 11 start career and she has had six weeks in between runs leading into this event.
The 1300m looks idea for her and Michael Dee retains the ride.
12.Espiona (6)
We all know what this mare is capable of but she does seem to do too much wrong in her races which you simply can’t do at this level of racing.
She loomed up in the Doomben 10,000 like the winner but wanted to lay out for the entire straight which cost her any chance at winning.
One I’m happy to take on.
Verdict
SELECTIONS
1st: No. 10 In Secret
2nd: No. 1 I Wish I Win
3rd: No. 9 Bella Nipotina
4th: No. 4 Uncommon James
1st: No. 10 In Secret
2nd: No. 1 I Wish I Win
3rd: No. 9 Bella Nipotina
4th: No. 4 Uncommon James
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