Moe Racing Tips 12 May — can Magnardo stay perfect?
Randwick Racing Tips 13 May — can Waller run the table?
Opening
Chris Waller doesn’t just show up at Randwick. He turns up with a plan, a stack of bullets, and the sort of jockey bookings that tell you which races he actually cares about. Today is one of those meetings where the stable footprint is impossible to ignore: Waller runners everywhere, James McDonald on key hopes, and a couple of races where the map should let them control the story rather than react to it.
That’s the angle I’m leaning into for these Randwick racing tips on 13 May: where the power stable has the right horse, the right draw, and the right race shape. It’s a four-race card on turf, and the form is mostly progressive, lightly raced profiles rather than exposed old hands, so you’re betting on where the improvement lands, not who was good six months ago.
Odds weren’t available in the feed at time of writing, so this is a pure form and setup read. If you can get a fair quote, there’s a strong win bet on the card and a couple of races where I’d rather play it tight than spray wide for the sake of action.
Randwick — the setup
Course history across today’s fields is thin: most runners have only one or two prior goes at Randwick, so treat track stats as context, not gospel. Where it does matter is in the human edges. James McDonald is the obvious one, and Waller has the volume to make his strike rates meaningful here.
At Randwick, Waller has 186 runners for 26 wins and 81 placings. That’s a proper sample. He lands a winner about once every seven runners, and he hits the frame just under half the time. When Waller pairs with McDonald at this track, it tightens again: 54 rides together here for 11 wins and 25 placings. You don’t need to romanticise it. You just need to respect it.
Ladbrokes Review [Updated March 2026] | Ladbrokes.com.au Pros & Cons
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| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J B McDonald | 82 | 19 | 38 | 23.17 | 46.34 |
| N Rawiller | 58 | 8 | 28 | 13.79 | 48.28 |
| J R Collett | 69 | 10 | 26 | 14.49 | 37.68 |
| Tommy Berry | 71 | 8 | 22 | 11.27 | 30.99 |
| Siena Grima | 34 | 4 | 18 | 11.76 | 52.94 |
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C J Waller | 186 | 26 | 81 | 13.98 | 43.55 |
| Bjorn Baker | 67 | 10 | 21 | 14.93 | 31.34 |
| G Waterhouse & A Bott | 67 | 7 | 32 | 10.45 | 47.76 |
| Joseph Pride | 37 | 5 | 17 | 13.51 | 45.95 |
Race-by-race
Race 1: Hawaii Five Oh @ Vinery Stud Hcp — 12:15, 1531m
Tron Bolt jumps off the page because the setup screams “soft run, sharp finish”. Gate 1 at Randwick over this sort of trip is a gift for a two year old still learning the craft, and you’re getting the McDonald and Waller combo that wins just over one in five at this track together (54 rides for 11 wins). For a young horse race, that matters because the best rider in the best spot can turn an even contest into a controlled one.
The other reason I want to be with Tron Bolt is the profile. He’s already shown enough to run third, and that often reads as “one better with experience” in this grade, especially when they keep him at the same sort of distance and don’t go searching for excuses. If J Mac holds a spot behind the speed from the inside and waits until the 350m, he doesn’t need to be a superstar to win.
The danger is Unhinged. One run, straight into second, and Rawiller is the sort of rider who can make a wideish draw work (barrier 9) if the tempo lets him slide across without burning petrol. In the last 90 days, Unhinged has only had one start but he ran second and picked up prize money, so there’s no obvious knock on current form.
Staking: Win bet Tron Bolt. Small saver quinella with Unhinged if you want cover.
Race 2: Tab Mdn Plate — 12:50, 1531m
Here’s the question: do you want the horse that keeps knocking on the door, or the horse that might be better than a maiden but hasn’t put it together yet?
I’m siding with Nuclear Pete. One start for third is usually the cleanest platform in these races because you know they can handle race day pressure, and the stable has gone straight to McDonald again. Waller doesn’t need to overthink maidens at Randwick, he just needs a horse with enough upside and a run that makes sense. Nuclear Pete ticks that box, and barrier 7 gives J Mac options to stay out of trouble and still land in the first half of the field.
Cellphone is the danger because he’s the hardened one. Draw 1 and a form line of 5-3-3 says he’ll be there late again, and he has placed on his only Randwick run, which is a nice little tick without pretending it’s a trend. The knock is Siena Grima carries the ride and while she places plenty here, she doesn’t have McDonald’s ability to turn a 50-50 gap into a winning one.
If you want a blowout horse to include, Peace Bird (Maher) looks the type who keeps finding the line, and Adam Farragher’s Randwick record is properly strong on a small but meaningful base (5 rides for 2 wins).
Staking: Win bet Nuclear Pete. If the price is short, go win plus small exacta Nuclear Pete over Cellphone.
Race 3: Kia Central Region Dealer Of The Year (Bm68) — 13:25, 1422m
This is the race where the market often gets itself in a knot because there are too many “could be anything” three year olds. I’m not trying to outsmart it. I’m taking the horse with the best map and the most dependable set of connections: Ernaux.
Gate 4 is the key. In a BM68 full of wide draws and lightly raced types, Ernaux should land in the first five without spending. Then it becomes a straight riding contest from the 600m, and McDonald has that part on repeat at Randwick. Ernaux’s form line (13-202) tells you he’s been around the mark through different phases, and Waller hasn’t dropped him here to find out if he can run, he’s dropped him here to win.
I Am Carrot is the obvious threat. Draw 1, form 7211-2, and he looks like the leader or the leader’s back. If he gets his own way early, the race can turn into a sit and sprint. That’s the one scenario that can make Ernaux vulnerable if J Mac is forced to start a run a fraction earlier than he wants.
Wide gates make life hard for a few of the other hopes. Three Arrows comes in with a 311- profile but barrier 15 over 1422m is a tax. He can still win, but you’re asking for a lot of things to go right.
Staking: Win bet Ernaux. If you’re playing exotics, save around I Am Carrot as the map horse.
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Race 4: Kia Southern Region Dealer Of The Year (Bm64) — 14:00, 1969m
Race shape first. Over 1969m, these BM64s are usually won by the horse that relaxes best and gets to build into the race, not the one that tries to win it at the 800m. That’s why I’m with Oso Spirited.
He brings the right recent profile: in the last 90 days he’s had three runs for one win and he’s been in the placings every time. That’s not noise. That’s a horse holding form. Waterhouse and Bott can be brutal at picking the right placement when a horse is fit and happy, and from gate 6 Zac Wadick should be able to slide across, find a rhythm, and keep him out of the stop start traffic that ruins stayers in these midweek cups.
The danger is Nasebah because he’s the fresh look. Two starts in his recent window and he’s won one and placed in the other, which suggests upside. The query is the ride. Siena Grima rides Randwick well for place rate, but this is the kind of race where tempo decisions matter and you’d rather be with the senior hands if it turns tactical.
If you’re hunting value, La Morra is the sneaky one to include. He’s had two goes at Randwick and placed in one, and in the last 90 days he’s run three times and hit the frame twice. From barrier 2, Schofield should give him a cheap run. I don’t want him as the main bet, but I want him in the multiples around the top two.
Staking: Win bet Oso Spirited. Saver exacta Oso Spirited over La Morra for a little sting if the favourite gets softened up.
The plays
The card reads like a Waller meeting, and I’m not fighting it. The strongest push comes early: Tron Bolt in the opener gets the inside draw and the McDonald steer, and that pairing with Waller at Randwick is strong enough to lean on (54 rides here for 11 wins and 25 placings). If he’s anywhere near a fair price, that’s the bet I want to be on.
My value angle is La Morra in the last. He isn’t a headline horse, but his recent form says he keeps competing, and gate 2 with Schofield is the kind of setup that can win a BM64 when others spend too much gas finding position.
For multis, the banker is Ernaux. Barrier 4, McDonald, and a race where too many of the dangers are drawn awkwardly is exactly how short priced winners get made at Randwick.
Each-way punters should keep Cellphone onside in the maiden. He’s already placed at Randwick and his form says he’ll run it out again from the inside.
Keep an eye on how often McDonald lands in the first five from those middle gates today. If he keeps making it look easy, it’s a pattern worth following into the next Randwick midweek.
FAQ
What time does racing start at Randwick today?
Racing starts at Randwick at 12:15 with the Hawaii Five Oh @ Vinery Stud Hcp over 1531m.
Who are the top trainers and jockeys at Randwick?
On meaningful Randwick volume, C J Waller has 186 runners for 26 wins and 81 placings at the track. In the saddle, J B McDonald leads the key names on today’s card with 82 rides at Randwick for 19 wins and 38 placings. Rawiller also hits the frame often here, with 28 placings from 58 rides.
What are the best bets at Randwick today?
My Randwick best bets are Tron Bolt (Race 1, 12:15) as the main win play, then Ernaux (Race 3, 13:25) as the safer multi anchor given the draw and the McDonald ride.
Where can I find the best odds for Randwick races?
Shop around with your preferred bookmakers close to jump time, because prices can move quickly in these lightly raced races. The odds feed wasn’t available for this meeting at time of writing, so I’ve framed the Randwick predictions around map, stable intent, and recent form rather than price shopping.
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