Australian Guineas Tips & Preview 2024

Image sourced from Victoria Racing Club Facebook

 

Looking for Australian Guineas tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2024 Australian Guineas at Flemington.

AUSTRALIAN GUINEAS BETTING SNAPSHOT

The three-year-olds line up in the Australian Guineas at Flemington and it is the Victoria Derby (2500m) winner, Riff Rocket, that has been installed as the $2.40 favourite with Unibet after the barrier draw ahead of King Colorado at $7 and Veight at $7.50. 

There are 16 runners and the one emergency that have accepted for the feature. Snow Patrol and Southport Tycoon are both at $12, while Quintessa ($17) and Otago ($18) head the rest of the youngsters in the market. 

AUSTRALIAN GUINEAS FORM ANALYSIS

The CS Hayes Stakes is one of the key lead up races and Riff Rocket settled worse than midfield before picking off his rivals in the straight to score by a length from King Colorado. The Chris Waller-trained gelding was able to sprint well off a very slow early tempo and went 8.4 lengths faster than standard benchmark. He is three from four at Flemington and improved more than three lengths on benchmark figures when second up last time, finishing runner-up at Rosehill behind Snowman. 

A total of six runners come out of the CS Hayes, including the placegetters. King Colorado is third up and was luckless the last time he raced over the 1600m when 4th in the Caulfield Guineas (1600m) behind Griff. 

Verdad (3rd), Otago (4th), Cap Ferrat (6th) and Run Harry Run (8th) are the others that lined up in the CS Hayes. Hard to make a case for some of the beaten brigade. All should have improvement to come at their second runs but so will the winner. 

Veight took on the older horses in the CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield at his most recent start and was solid in a fiercely run affair when 4th behind Mr Brightside. The Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained galloper went 11.5 lengths faster than standard benchmark in that race, which is the best last start figure of any runner. He was a winner in the Australia Stakes (1200m) prior to that and returns to his age group for the first time this preparation. He was runner-up in the Caulfield Guineas last year. 

Hey Fat Cat is another that took on the older horses last time when 5th in the Futurity Stakes (1400m). He produced the second fastest last 200m in that race to go 9.6 lengths faster than standard and will save ground from the inside barrier. 

Apulia is an interesting contender. He was too strong for Verdad in the Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) last spring, going 13.5 lengths faster than standard benchmark, which is a better figure than what any horse in this race has produced. 

The Team Hayes-trained galloper was unlucky when going down in narrow fashion behind Riff Rocket in the Derby after that. Monitor betting for the son of Fiorente, who comes into this fresh. He was a first up winner in weaker company at his last preparation. 

Snow Patrol is not without a chance. The Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper is on the short back up after leading all the way to edge out Southport Tycoon at Caulfield over the 1400m last weekend. Southport Tycoon started as a $4 favourite but couldn’t quite catch the winner. He has finished in the top two in five of his six career starts and had excuses when 9th in the Caulfield Guineas last year. 

There are two Kiwis in the race this year and they are Pendragon and Quintessa. The former will need to be at his best after drawing wide. Quintessa was a Group 1 winner at her most recent start with Callsign Mav among the beaten brigade. Quintessa missed out behind Pendragon on Boxing Day but draws a tad better than her rival. 

AUSTRALIAN GUINEAS TIPS AND BEST BETS

Riff Rocket might just be better than these but I am prepared to take him on. Favourites have a poor record in this race. SOUTHPORT TYCOON shapes as a solid each-way contender. I have been keen for the Ciaron Maher-trained galloper to get to Flemington and he is on the one-week back-up after finishing runner-up behind Snow Patrol over the 1400m at Caulfield last weekend. He worked in the early stages and couldn’t quite reel in the winner on a day that played into the hands of the leaders. His only previous run over the 1600m was inconclusive when luckless in the Caulfield Guineas. Form outside of that race has seen him score or finish within a neck of the winner on every occasion. Jamie Kah rides and the son of Written Tycoon draws perfectly in barrier 4.