Australian racing tips for October 31, 2026

Brad McGrath

Horse racing previews, form & tips

October 29, 2026

13 Views

Victoria Derby day at Flemington on Saturday marks the start of the four-day Melbourne Cup carnival, one of the greatest events in world racing.

Here at the WGL we will have you covered with analysis before all four meetings and a deep dive into the Melbourne Cup runners for Tuesday once the field is settled.

VRC Derby day itself has long been considered the greatest day of racing in Australia, and when you add it to the stellar events scheduled for Randwick, that is still the case.

Outstanding mare Sheza Alibi tackles the Group 1 Golden Eagle in Sydney, while the racing experts at WGL have also run the rule over the three Group 1s and two Group 2s at Flemington.

As well as the standout meetings in Melbourne and Sydney, there are strong metro cards at Doomben in Brisbane, Morphettville in Adelaide and Ascot in Perth.

Read on for our best bets of the day for Saturday, October 31, 2026.

Play Now

Group 2 HKJC World Pool Wakeful Stakes (2000m)

This race for fillies is the final lead-up to the Group 1 VRC Oaks run on the following Thursday, and many of the favourites here are high up in betting for the Oaks. Of course, the unbeaten Proxima Dea is into odds-on for the 2500m classic and not running in this, but hot on her heels are the likes of (1) Icelady, (3) De Armas, (5) Your Colour and (11) Tharwa. Icelady carries the top weight but her form is outstanding, running second to the flying Saintly Dancer in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas over 1600m at her most recent outing. If she can maintain her brilliance out to 2000m and then 2500m she will take beating in both races. (10) Fringilla has been kept safe in Oaks betting and shapes as one who will love Flemington and stay like a mother-in-law. She is drawn off the track her and if she is hitting the line well could be one for the longer trip.

Brad McGrath tips: 5,1,10,3. Best bet: Your Colour each-way for the James McDonald factor.

Group 2 The ABC Bullion Damien Oliver (1400m)

This is the race named for the former champion jockey Damien Oliver, who was known as ”the Broomstick” among my friend group because it seemed as though, in the parlance of race callers of old, there were times when he could win on anything, including a broomstick. Anyway, I digress. (5) Warnie is a B+ sprinter which has been nipping at their heels in better class of late and he has come up as the favourite in a pretty open race. He should get every chance for Mark Zahra from the rails draw. (2) Private Eye is a nine-year-old and his best racing is behind him, but at this level he can still be competitive. More than $12 million in prizemoney tells you how good he has been. (12) Persian Spirit is attracting a lot of support and is in red-hot form, while if you give him a hope you also have to consider the horse he narrowly beat last start in (11) Steparty. (9) Cafe Millenium is at massive odds and does not win often but relishes this track and distance, so if the swoopers are winning, he could cause a boilover. As could the second emergency (18) King Zephyr if he gets a run, though he is far shorter in the betting.

Brad McGrath tips: 11,9,5,2. Best bet: Steparty each-way but consider boxing up 4-5 in quinellas/trifectas.

Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m)

This is a stallion-making race, though there are a couple of boom fillies that might have something to say about that for this year’s edition of the high-class sprint down the famed Flemington ”straight six”. There at least two boom colts that on breeding are likely headed for a career at stud, though a win here will all but guarantee that path. (1) The Next Episode cost $2.8 million at the sales and the son of Snitzel looks worth every cent on what he has done to date, including in his first-up run when he charged home to nab high-class filly (12) Natural Fling over 1100m at this track. Then this is another star colt in (5) St Gotthard (Snitzel-Miss Bad Behaviour), which has won two of four starts with two seconds to the flying Warwoven so far this campaign. St Gotthard is a full-brother to the stallion Snitzerland, which won this race two years ago, and also to the talented four-year-old Decorum, which contests the Golden Eagle at Randwick on Saturday. The two fillies right in the betting are of a course the likely front-runner Natural Fling and (13) Satono Glow, which has won four of five starts and is untapped. Natural Fling makes her own luck and will likely look the winner with 200m to go. (8) Steel Will looks over the odds and is a good one for the multiples.

Brad McGrath tips: 12,1,5,8. Best bet: The filly Natural Fling to be too slippery.

Group 1 Howden Victoria Derby (2500m)

The stayiing three-year-olds generally run true to form in this race, though this seems a particularly open edition of the oldest Group 1 race on the Australian calendar. The VRC Derby was first run in 1855. This year, the top fancies in the betting are (1) Cormier and (2) Stormy Marco. While they are both colts of enormous promise and have been running on stylishly, I would classify their form as solid rather than spectacular. There is a clear chance for another of the colts and geldings or even the lone filly in the race to step up. We are hoping (4) King Snitz can step up for former jumps jockey Shane Jackson, an Irishman quite new to the training ranks. He shapes as a real staying type and looks good value at double-figure odds. (10) True Tone is a Chris Waller-trained stablemate of Stormy Marco and shapes as though Flemington and the distance will suit admirably. (3) True Rebel is not bred to stay but has defied his breeding so far and was impressive last start, while (7) Skua looks a real stayer.

Brad McGrath tips: 4,1,10,3. Best bet: King Snitz each-way but a good race for multiples.

Group 1 TAB Empire Rose Stakes (1600m)

We have been with (1) Lady Shenandoah for much of the spring and there is no reason to jump off here as she is well suited under the set-weight conditions of this mile race. The classy mare landed the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield last start over this distance and has drawn OK in gate eight for the champ James McDonald. She should be able to get across with the speedy up-and-comer (3) Surfin’ Bird drawn wide. The latter is a real rising star and will take running down, though she has speed drawn inside as well and may have to burn up some juice to find the rail. (10) Concord Connie is lightly raced and untapped, while (9) Sass Appeal is likely to surge forward and also has plenty of upside. (5) Unleeshing should be hitting the line with gusto.

Brad McGrath tips: 1,5,3,9. Best bet: Lady Shenandoah to win. She is all class.

Group 2 The Russell Balding Stakes  (1300m)

This is a high-quality open class sprint and the real class looks to come from those runners which caught the eye in the rich The Everest at their latest appearances. (1) Jimmysstar, which also won this race in 2025, and (6) Ninja were impressive in finishing strongly behind Tempted in The Everest, and even more eye-catching was (8) Headwall, which came home alongside the word’s best sprinter Kaying Rising to claim fourth spot. Headwall has had issues over the journey and the question mark with him is if he can reproduce his Everest effort. If he does he should win, as he will likely be given a far head start by the other pair, which have both drawn wide and will have to snag back at the start. (3) Caballus also ran out of his skin in The Everest and unlike key rivals should get the perfect trail behind the leaders in this. (5) Grafterburners won The Everest consolation but might find a couple of these too good.

Brad McGrath tips: 8,3,6,1. Best bet: Headwall is due some luck.

Group 1 Asahi Super Dry Golden Eagle (1500m)

This is a $10 million race for four-year-olds which is part of the Australian racing civil war in which NSW has successfully attracted a lot of attention in opposition to the Melbourne Spring Carnival, though that’s a story for another time. Exhibit A here is the fact that the champion Melbourne-trained mare (16) Sheza Alibi is racing in Sydney with the rich prize on offer. She is a red-hot favourite for this and quite rightly even though she was marginally disappointing when beaten as a $1.40 favourite last start in the Group 1 Might And Power Stakes at Caulfield. Her overall record stands up though with eight wins and five placings from 13 starts and she is perfectly drawn in five. Her biggest danger is likely front-runner (1) Beiwacht for Nash Rawiller who should control the tempo from barrier 9. Beiwacht was devastating in winning first-up but has disappointed since; his best is competitive. Silver Eagle winner (17) Apocalyptic and runner-up (2) Skyhook should be in the mix, and it’s worth keeping an eye on betting for international import (15) Amazing Journey.

Brad McGrath tips: 16,15,2,17. Best bet: Sheza Alibi to win.