The bookies are tipping a Chris Waller-trained Toorak Handicap 2017 quinella at Caulfield Racecourse on Saturday with stablemates Egg Tart and Tom Melbourne battling for top spot in betting.
Two-time Group 1 winning mare Egg Tart is narrow favourite in 2017 Toorak Handicap betting at Caulfield this weekend. Photo: Jenny Barnes.
Scheduled as the penultimate event on Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas Day, the Group 1 $500,000 Toorak Handicap (1600m) is set to run as Caulfield Race 9 at 5:10pm (AEDT) and features a capacity field of spring gallopers.
Four of the runners come from the Sydney stables of Waller including the top two in the latest Toorak Handicap odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Narrow early favourite at $6.50 to return to winning form second-up is four-year-old Sebring mare Egg Tart drawn barrier nine with Damien Oliver booked for the ride.
As a filly Egg Tart enjoyed five wins on the trot including the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks (2010m) in Adelaide and the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m).
First-up she failed to salute when taking on the boys in the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on September 9 running four lengths back second to Deploy.
Originally Egg Tart was to race again in Randwick’s Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m), but was forced out of the race due to eye irritation.
She has her rescheduled next-up spring run then heading to Caulfield for the first time in the Toorak Handicap over a mile, which she has won both her previous starts over and looks well-weighted on 53.5kg.
The danger and close second favourite in Toorak Handicap betting paying $7 to finally end the run of frustrating second place efforts is Tom Melbourne.
Waller’s Dylan Thomas seven-year-old has finished runner-up in all four lead-up races including the good effort behind Happy Clapper in the Epsom Handicap on September 30.
He will need to be improving on Saturday going up from 52kg to 55kg, drawing out wide in barrier 15 and chasing his first win at the Caulfield track at his sixth start there.
Three-time Toorak Handicap winning hoop Glen Boss retains the ride chasing his first win in the mile classic since Lucky Hussler (2015) two years ago.
The Waller-trained Toorak Handicap contingent also features Comin’ Through ($11) who beat home Tom Melbourne in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) before a sixth in the Epsom, and 52kg lightweight mare Omei Sword ($12) last seen running third in the Group 2 Golden Pendant (1400m) against her own kind.
Outside of Egg Tart and Tom Melbourne there are two other single-figure Toorak Handicap hopefuls with early market mover Mr Sneaky ($8) and Theanswermyfriend ($8.50).
Dean Yendall rides the consistent Anthony Freedman-trained High Chaparral four-year-old Mr Sneaky this weekend following the gelding’s last-start second in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at the track on October 1.
The Sir Rupert Clarke produced all four Toorak Handicap winners from 2012-2015 and Mr Sneaky is out to frank that lead-up form again in 2017.
Theanswermyfriend gets in on just 52kg in the Toorak Handicap weights and is also a Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes graduate having run 2.4 lengths back for fifth before failing to finish a subsequent Cranbourne trial on October 9.
Check out the latest Toorak Handicap 2017 betting odds below, pricing open now at Ladbrokes.com.au.
