Australian racing tips for September 19, 2026
Caulfield takes centre stage in Australian racing with a pair of Group 1 races, the Underwood Stakes and Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, the highlights of a stellar card.
But the Melbourne venue is not the only one worth checking out as the outstanding mare Autumn Glow takes on a small field of rivals in the $1 million Group 2 Seven Sunrise Stakes at Randwick in Sydney.
Autumn Glow has won 12 of her 13 starts and resumed beating another rising superstar Sheza Alibi in the Group 1 Winx Stakes at the same track a few weeks back. Since then Sheza Alibi has won another Group 1 of her own in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington last weekend.
We won’t be getting rich backing Autumn Glow this weekend, however, as she is rated around $1.16 to win again.
At Caulfield and Randwick we have a stack of Group racing and our team has scoured the form to hopefully come up with some value bets. It’s time to build up a bank with the incomparable Melbourne Cup carnival on the horizon.
Read on for our best bets of the day for Saturday, September 19, 2026.
Caulfield Race 4
Group 2 Manhari Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m)
This race for three-yearold fillies has thrown up an extremely even edition this year. (5) Profligate is a stylish filly and is in good hands with Grahame Begg, a legendary trainer of fillies and mares. She should get every chance for Jordan Childs from barrier three. (6) Portinari is the early favourite and would be shorter but for drawing gate 13. (9) Icelady is a maiden after three starts but was second to a pretty smart one last time in Over Excited. She will race on the pace and loses nothing with the in-form Ethan Brown up. (4) Aethera can be forgiven a failure on resumption; she has plenty of talent.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 5,4,9,6. Best bet: Profligate each-way.
Caulfield Race 5
Group 3 Sportsbet Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m)
The three-year-old colts and geldings take their turn in this Caulfield Guineas Prelude and beware the Waller runners! While smart gelding (3) Blind Raise is a short-priced favourite, the Waller pair are maidens and are at big prices. (6) Confederation and (4) Joint Venture are both at $25-plus and are bred in the purple. It would be no surprise to us if one or both of them are in the finish in a pretty even field. Blind Raise has been most impressive winning three of his four starts, but we think (5) Wolf Gap could easily turn the tables on him here given a run under his belt since a spell. Wolf Gap’s stablemate (2) American Eagle is unbeaten after two starts and right in the mix for the Anthony and Sam Freedman stable.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 6,2,5,3. Best bet: Confederation each-way at juicy odds.
Caulfield Race 6
Group 3 Sportsbet How Now Stakes (1200m)
A strong field of mares for this Group 3 sprint and we have tipped (10) Bridal Waltz previously. She races at her best at her first couple of runs from a spell and while she is short in the betting here, she is a reliable type and is well drawn in gate five for Ben Melham. She ticks all the boxes this time. (3) Point Barrow is very smart and was thrown into a Group 1 first-up and was well beaten. The Blue Point mare is two from two at this track and also second up. She has an awkward draw for Mark Zahra but he is riding well. (4) Custom is a classy mare from the Ciaron Maher stable and will be thereabouts, as will fellow Godolphin runner (12) Photograph. (2) Inkaruna ran OK first-up and will be better for that hitout. She is at tempting odds around $14.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 10,12,3,2. Best bet: Bridal Waltz to win.
Caulfield Race 7
Group 1 Henley Homes Underwood Stakes (1800m)
The first of the Group 1s and this is a great chance for the former WA star (5) Cosmic Crusader to crack a Group 1 on this side of the country. The Maurice gelding has been superb this campaign and lost no admirers when third to the flying Beiwacht last time out in a Group 1 at this track. The step up to 1800m is ideal and this horse is just a winning machine with 10 wins from only 20 starts. (1) Lindermann is challenging for favouritism and makes his own luck. He will be in front for a long while, but there is more depth to this field than at his most recent win. His stablemates (2) Buckaroo and (6) Birdman are proved at this level and will be hitting the line hard..
Rupert McIntosh tips: 5,1,2,6. Best bet: Cosmic Crusader to win.
Caulfield Race 9
Group 1 Sportsbet Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m)
The second Group 1 and arguably the pick of the races. We have been keen backing (6) Lady Shenandoah since her first-up fourth behind the stars in the best rtace of the spring so far. She gets all the favours here from gate one for veteran Craig Williams and she is a high-class mare and this should be her pet distance. (3) Sepals has won five out six at 1400m with one second, and he won this race last year. (2) Evaporate is a reliable type but drawn the carpark here in a race with many chance. Don’t be surprised to see (18) Tennessee Bound run a cheeky race if she starts here as she is an untapped mare with no weight.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 6,2,18,13. Best bet: Lady Shenandoah to win.
Randwick Race 5
Group 3 Hope Research Bill Ritchie Hcp (1400m)
(1) Headley Grange has always been a good horse but it’s probably only being recognised now just how good he is, with 13 wins from only 30 starts. The Exosphere gelding just keeps raising the bar and he is a deserved favourite here, even if he has to concede plenty of weight to some promising rivals. Six horses are on the limit weight of 53kg, while Headley Grange must lump 61kg. The best of the lightweights look to be (9) Althoff, which has taken a while to come good but is now racing in career-best form, and (15) Mr Miller, an emerging type with only five starts under his belt. The old marvel (2) Private Eye, a stablemate to Headley Grange, and the likes of (8) Sixties are sure to be competive. (10) Matcha Latte has been racing well, too.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 8,1,9,2. Best bet: Sixties to sprint well fresh at each-way odds.
Randwick Race 6
Group 2 Asahi Super Dry Kingston Town Stakes (2000m)
Imported galloper (11) The Euphrates turned in a great run after almost two years between races when fourth in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes a fortnight ago at his first Australian start, and if he has come on from that he will take catching. He should cross from a wide gate and lead, with (2) Eliyass likely to follow him across and either sit outside The Euphrates or try to take the lead. Eliyass is a former French galloper and has seven wins from 10 starts at this distance. His best is clearly good enough. (3) Soul Of Spain is the likely favourite and has the services of James McDonald, who could be in for a big day. As always with these Sydney staying races, there are eight or so horses that could win without surprising.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 11,3,2,12. Best bet: The Euphrates to win..
Randwick Race 7
Group 2 Grant Burge Tea Rose Stakes (1400m)
This race is part of the Princess Series for three-year-old fillies, which culminates with the Group 1 Flight Stakes. (6) Global Goal is from a blueblood family and has shown enough to suggest she will be competitive in this. The first three fillies home – (1) Bangkok Hottie, (2) Chilly Girl and (3) Striking Alibi – in the Group 2 Furious Stakes at this track on September 5 dominate the betting for this. Clearly Chilly Girl will be leading this for a long way and she will look the winner at some stage. (10) Sing Your Song has had only three starts and she looks to be on the up for the Waller stable. She looks great value at $14 or so.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 10,2,6,3. Best bet: Sing Your Song each-way.
Randwick Race 8
Group 2 Seven Sunrise Stakes (1600m)
Not too much to be said about this race except sit back and marvel at (4) Autumn Glow, the latest superstar from the asembly line at the Walle stable. The champion mare has James McDonald aboard and gate one, and it would be a major surprise if she did not win this race with great ease. There are no Sheza Alibi in this to really test her and she has likely scared off many rivals. (1) Ceolwulf rattled home last start and looks a great quinella chance. (6) Idle Flyer is the one which could cross and lead and is a progressive type but seems unlikely to be able to resist Autumn Glow for long in the home straight.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 4,1,5,2. Best bet: Try the 4 and 1 quinella but just enjoy watching a star.
Randwick Race 9
Group 2 Yarraman Park Shorts (1100m)
The Shorts is the main race of the day and it’s a competitve affair. (2) Joliestar is a high-class mare who races well first-up and she could give James McDonald yet another winner. The topweight (1) Ninja is an exciting gallope, while (3) Headwall was desperately unlucky not to roll hot favourite Tempted at his first run for a year last time out. (4) Jokers Grin is an interesting runner. The former WA galloper is now in the Waller stable and has nine wins from only 13 starts. This is tough though. (7) Marhoona threatens to get away with a good race and should be hitting the line well.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 2,3,7,1. Best bet: Stick with Joliestar.
