Epsom Handicap Tips & Runner-by-Runner Preview

The Group 1 Epsom Handicap headlines Saturday's racing at Randwick with a top class field lining up.

Mitchell Cashmore looks at the form of every runner in the 2022 Epsom Handicap.

This is a horse that has plenty of ability, that is pretty certain. But does it stack up to this sort of field? I say yes. Loves the mile and has had plenty of success at Randwick. However, if the track is super-soaked, I’m not sure how he goes. But if it’s Heavy 8 or better, he’s right in this, especially off his thunderous win last start at this track. Much harder here of course, but gets a stack of weight off the back and will be strong to the line, Bowman will make sure of it.

Used to have a lot of time for this horse, but now, I’m not so sure. Would like him more if the deck was dry, but the forecast says otherwise. He’s been super poor in the last couple of starts, being beaten by a combined 16 lengths plus. He has beaten Anamoe in the past, which is super form, but I just don’t feel that he’s progressed from his 3YO season to his 4YO one.

Another horse that is tricky for me to place as I am usually all over him every single start. He’s a track specialist and he loves the slop, which sticks out as a major positive. But he doesn’t really stack up to this sort of quality over the mile. Think he crumbles under the pressure and fades in the final stages after being up the front for the majority of the race.

She’s a bit of a wildcard in this one. On the one-week back up, which I love in a horse, especially coming off a win. The win itself was quite gutsy, a whole lot of pressure piled on in the late stages and she still managed to em get the job done. She’ll run out the mile and will handle the conditions, the only issue is the wide barrier and the potential that last week’s win busted her and she’s now already peaked. But if she’s fit and firing, she’s a serious knockout chance.

She’s always been the bridesmaid, is it finally time for her to win a Group 1? I think this is by far her best chance to snag one. She’s flying without winning, making ground late and being super behind Zaaki and Anamoe in her last two starts, that’s just about the best middle-distance form you can get in the country at the moment. She’s down in the weights, gets J Mac on, which is the ultimate gear change, throw in an ideal draw and the fact that she’s the definition of a swimmer, all I am reading is big green ticks.

One of the 3 Waller girls in the race and they all have their claims, but Fangirl reads a little Unders to me honestly. She’s much better over dry ground than wet, so if that track gets out to anything in the Heavy range, a win would be surprising. She’s talented, a second placing behind Anamoe tells us that, but with the weather on the way, I can’t be tipping her.

One of the 3 Waller girls in the race and they all have their claims, and I believe Kiku is super underrated here. She’s at $30 plus currently and I would definitely respect a small each-way play at that price. She’s drawn the widest gate, but as long as she can get cover and the track is allowing for horses to make up ground from the back, she’ll be close to the finish line when they all cross. Does best work in the wet and second up, she’s one you’d want in your First Four exotic plays.

One of the 3 Waller girls and by far the one with the best chances of the trio. Won a Group 1 at this track and in the slop earlier this year so we know that she can deal with the conditions and the pressure of the race quality. She would have benefited from a closer draw, but the wide barrier should force her to go forward a bit and be right up on the tail of the leaders, which she can certainly use to cart her over the top and take the win. 

What a rise through the grades this horse has had. Went all the way from Benchmark 78 racing, to one of the most esteemed Group 1 races in the country in the space of a few months. We’ve seen it with Incentivise and Shelby Sixty Six, do we see it with Cross Talk? It’s a possibility. Carrying mere feathers and should get a commanding lead at the start. They’ll all have to run him down, and if it’s a bog a track, they might just be unable to catch him.

Scratched

At the $100 plus mark for a reason, she’s not in this, not by a long shot. Best chance is Top 4, maybe. But not the win.

Hard deck and he’s in it up to his nose. Wet deck and he’ll struggle, especially considering that he didn’t even have the chops to knock off a BM78 calibre race in his last two starts, the jump here will just be too much.