Australian racing tips for September 5, 2026
The feature race in Australia today is clearly the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Sandown, and it’s a fascinating affair with the boom filly Natural Fling topping the bookmakers’ markets.
That is the only Group 1 race in Australia today but as well as there being a strong support card at Sandown, there is a string of Group 2 races at Randwick in Sydney, many of which will shape the spring plans of some of the most promising horses in the country.
We have run the rule over the Moir Stakes, in which the early stages may well decide the race, and the Group 3 Chautauqua Stakes at Sandown, as well as the four Group 2s at Randwick.
It’s an impressive day’s racing as the action really starts to get into the swing of spring. As well as Sandown and Randwick, there are Australian metropolitan meetings at Eagle Farm, Morphettville and Belmont, as well as the Group 1 Proisir Plate at Ellerslie in New Zealand. We have you covered for up-to-date selections for the major races as mentioned.
Read on for our best bets of the day for Saturday, September 5, 2026.
Sandown Race 8
Group 1 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m)
There will no loafing in this 1000-metre sprint, and that could present a problem for the highly-talented filly (13) Natural Fling. She has had only three starts and at her most recent she destroyed her peers in the Quezette Stakes at this track. She is now in the big league against serious Group 1 sprinters and the positive for her is that as a three-year-old she gets a big pull in the weights. On the downside she has drawn the extreme outside barrier and she may not be able to cross the flying mare (9) Cavalry Girl at the start. They will basically have the throttle down for this whole trip and if this pair get the staggers late, the likes of (1) Giga Kick will be ready to pounce. Giga Kick is not ideally suited at 1000m but should be savaging the line. (11) Extragalactic is lightly raced and underrated heading into this while (7) My Gladiola often produces her best form on the fresh side..
Rupert McIntosh tips: 11,13,1,7. Best bet: Extragalactic each-way. Her jockey Ethan Brown is riding in rare form.
Sandown Race 9
Group 3 Orbit Logistics Chautauqua Stakes (1300m)
This is a race named for the brilliant but headstrong sprinter Chautauqua, which ended his career by refusing to jump from the barriers. There will be no such problems here and it is a good contest boasting the likes of the lightly raced five-year-old mare (11) Tennessee Bound, which has won six of seven starts. With that sort of record you would expect her to be shorter in this race but some believe she has found her mark now and will struggle against more seasoned types such as (3) Warnie, which is the class runner in this field. But we believe Tennessee Bound and her four-kilo pull in the weights on Warnie will be be too much for the latter. (6) Persian Spirit has a great record and is challening the other pair for favouritism. He should get every chance from gate three and is an ultra-consistent type. (5) Amenable runs his best races fresh and should be charging home along the fence.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 11,5,6,3. Best bet: Tennessee Bound to make it seven from eight.
Randwick Race 6
Group 2 Kia Ora Stud Furious Stakes (1200m)
A great clash between a good batch of three-year-old fillies, with (2) Pembrey the favourite after her brilliant win first-up in the Silver Shadow Stakes. Interestingly, champion jockey James McDonald, who rode Pembrey to that win, has honoured a commitment to the blueblood filly (1) Chayan, which is first-up after starting only $5.50 in the Golden Slipper. She will be spotting the leaders a big start but should be motoring late. (3) Chilly Girl is unbeaten and likely to lead with Pembrey on her outside and if they don’t cut at each other too much they will take some getting pat. (6) Bangkok Hottie is a promising type and if she can improve a length or two will be right in the finish.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 1,2,6,3. Best bet: Chayan each-way
Randwick Race 7
Group 2 myPlates Tramway Stakes (1400m)
(5) Private Eye is a grand old veteran with more than $12 million in prizemoney and he never runs a bad race. As a nine-year-old when the day comes that he fails it might be the end of a wonderful career. But that is not today, in our opinion. Private Eye will likely push forward from the wide gate, sit outside likely leader (2) Transatlantic, then take the lead with 300m to go. The question is whether he can hold off the likes of the very smart (7) Idle Flyer, which has the services of red-hot jockey Zac Lloyd and should be sitting right behind Transatlantic. The chances don’t end there with the likes of (1) Headley Grange a serially underrated spring which has a Group 1 race to his credit. This is his distance range.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 1,5,7,2. Best bet: Headley Grange to pip his stablemate.
Randwick Race 8
Group 2 Catanach’s Jewellers Concorde Stakes (1000m)
(4) Tempted is a rising superstar sprinter with a superb record at the track, distance and first-up from a spell. She boasts a powerful finishing burst and bookies have installed her as an odds-on favourite, though this is not a gimme. (1) Headwall is a high-class sprinter which has had issues and not started since winning this race a year ago, The flow of money for the seven-year-old suggests he is ready to go. (2) Marhoona has plenty of upside and could well be the one Tempted has to chase in the last 100m..
Rupert McIntosh tips: 4,2,5,1. Best bet: Quinella Tempted and Marhoona.
Randwick Race 9
Group 2 Asahi Super Dry Chelmsford Stakes (1600m)
This is a time-honoured mile race at weight-for-age though this does not loom as a vintage edition. (9) Fangirl has reached greater heights than her rivals but the question is as an eight-year-old mare if she still has the same zest for racing. She is right in the market and has the incomparable James McDonald aboard. Bookies have settled on (2) Lindermann as a pretty short-priced favourite and he should bowl along in front and be hard to gert past for master front-running rider Nash Rawiller. (1) Ceolwulf ran a great race at big odds in the strong Group 1 Winx Stakes. But we sense this race is ripe for an upset. The most interesting runners are the import (5) The Euphrates and the dominant AJC Derby winner (7) Green Spaces, which are both on a Melbourne Cup mission. They are both better served by longer distances but should be running on strongly.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 7,1,2,9. Best bet: Green Spaces each-way.
