Australian racing tips for July 11, 2026
We are deep into Australian winter racing with the Queensland carnival in the rear-view mirror and no Group 1 racing until the Winx Stakes at Randwick on August 22.
The highlight of Australian racing on Saturday is the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield, which has attracted a strong field of the lesser-light sprinters, with 10 of the 11 acceptors given decent chances, according to the bookies anyway.
Our racing team has run the rule over the 1100-metre contest in Melbourne, as well as the listed Beaufine Stakes at Belmont in Western Australia and a couple of the better support races from Caulfield and Randwick in Sydney.
Our racing experts had their eye in over the latter stages of the Queensland carnival and will endeavour to find some contenders we consider over the odds and offering value. Elsewhere on a this winter’s day of Australian racing there are meetings at Doomben in Brisbane and Morphettville in South Australia.
Read on for our best bets of the day for Saturday, July 11, 2026.
Caulfield Race 3
Sportsbet Jockey Watch Hcp (1400m)
This race is packed with promising, well-bred types which should be able to go on to better things come the spring. It’s no easy task sorting them out, with the topweight (1) Like A Drifter in outstanding form since a spell with five wins on the bounce for promising apprentice Tala Hutchinson. This is a much stiffer test but the Omaha Beach gelding has taken all before him and the wet track is no issue. (5) Cruiserweight is unbeaten after two starts and his upside is clear to see. (12) Undisputable gets in light afer the three-kilo claim for Emily Pozman. (4) Celtics and (13) Beechworth are both bred in the purple and still improving. (6) Glam Award is having only her third start and could measure up.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 6,1,5,13. Best bet: Glam Award each-way at double figure odds. A good race for quinellas/trifectas.
Caulfield Race 7
Group 3 Sportsbet Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m)
This is an incredibly open race with (5) Title Fighter the only sprinter not given much hope. That gelding is at $61-plus but the other 10 runners were all between $6 and $16 in early markets. The South Australian galloper (6) Watchme Win has an outstanding first-up record with three wins and a second from four attempts, and the 1100m is also the gelding’s pet distance. He will get back in the field but there should be enough speed up front for him to get his chance for rising jockey Lachlan Neindorf from gate six. (11) Bazaball Rewarded will be on the speed from gate four and should give plenty of cheek at a good each-way price. (10) Miraval Rose is a promising mare and is from the red-hot Graham Begg stable. She will be attacking the line first-up and also has a recent trial win under her belt. (1) Recommendation is racing in consistent form and a great chance to break through in this.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 10,6,1,11. Best bet: Miraval Rose each-way at about $9.
Belmont Park Race 7
Listed Beaufine Stakes (1000m)
(16) Twisted Steel is a promsing gelding with four wins fron only eight starts, but he has drawn the carpark in barrier 17. He does have early speed though and is likely to attempt to burn across from out wide to lead or sit outside the pace. His race will be won or lost at the start but it helps he has one of WA’s best Clint Johnston-Porter in the pigskin. Speaking of WA’s best, William Pike rides (13) Madhi Girl, a stablemate to Twisted Steel, and the mare is drawn ideally in gate two. She has enough speed to settle just in behind the speed and the Wizard of the West is certain to produce her at the right time. The Simon Miller-trained pair are vying for favouritism with (12) Luana Miss, who is another promising mare. (19) Want A Winner has ability and could surprise at big odds if he starts.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 13,16,19,5. Best bet: Stick with Pike. He rarely makes a mistake.
Randwick Race 6
Kieran Moore Hcp (Bm78) (1000m)
(9) Sociable is an ultra-consistent galloper from the Ciaron Maher stable, but does have a habit of finding one or two better. He has 10 placings from 14 starts but only two wins. This is a winnable race though and he has a light weight for Siena Grima from the inside gate. (1) Power Of The Brave is probably the best horse in the race but is first-up with a big weight but has performed well fresh in the past. The early money has been for (4) Prima Bella and she always runs well and is a proper mudlark. It’s a tricky race and the favourite (3) Petticoat looms as the likely leader and will take running down.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 1,3,9,4. Best bet: Power Of The Brave has a slight class edge.
Randwick Race 9
Toyota Forklifts Hcp (Bm88) (1400m)
(2) Lugh is a lightly raced five-year-old with its best racing still to come. The Snitzel gelding has five wins fron only 10 starts and hails from the powerful Ciaron Maher stable. Lugh is helped by a two-kilo claim for Siena Grima, who is tied on 30 wins with Braith Nock in the race for the Sydney apprentice jockeys’ premiership. Big watch on the bettin for import (11) Watcha Matey from the Waller stable. The five-year-old has a good record in Britain and these imports generally have no trouble dealing with the wet tracks Down Under. There has already been light backing for this import and if it firms up again on race day, that would be a strong lead. (3) Thunderlips is much better suited in this than in Listed grade and can improve sharply at his third run back from a spell, while the penny finally seems to have dropped for costly galloper (9) Emirate and he loves the wet tracks.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 2,11,3,9. Best bet: Lugh and Watcha Matey seems to be the two with most upside. Lugh to win, a saver on the latter.
