Peter Moody’s in-form Kiwi expat, I Wish I Win, is dominant favourite to post a hat-trick in the 2022 Toorak Handicap field this weekend in Melbourne.

I Wish I Win is clear favourite in 2022 Toorak Handicap betting on Caulfield Guineas Day this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Group 1 $1 million Toorak Handicap (1600m) is one of three elite level races on the Caulfield Guineas Day card on Saturday and features a quality 16-horse field.
Sitting top of the Toorak Handicap odds online at $2.70 and firming through Ladbrokes.com.au is in-form Savabeel four-year-old I Wish I Win.
The gelding has had two runs this campaign down under for back-to-back wins by a combined five length margin.
His latest was at Sandown on Underwood Stakes Day saluting as the odds-on favourite in the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes (1300m) with 56kg.
He comes back to 54.5kg this weekend looking well-rated for the Toorak Handicap with jockey Luke Nolen to retain the ride from a wide barrier 13 draw.
Despite a capacity field just three other horses are at single-figures in Toorak Handicap betting this season with the rails-drawn Tuvalu ($8.50), Gentleman Roy ($9.50) in gate four and the Annabel Neasham-trained Military Expert ($9.50) considered the dangers.
Kermadec five-year-old Tuvalu boasts a strong record over the 1600m (4:2-2-0) and will relish a return to the distance.
He was outstanding at the track on a Heavy (9) last start when backing-up from back-to-back Flemington wins over a mile to finish just a quarter-length third behind Callsign Mav in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).
The Ben & JD Hayes-trained So You Think six-year-old Gentleman Roy has also been in excellent form ahead of the Toorak.
He hasn’t finished out of the top two in his nine latest starts dating back to December of 2021 and has the confidence of a last start win in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m).
Gentleman Roy is a genuine miler (6:4-2-0) and carries 53kg with Jye McNeil aboard in his class rise this weekend.
Military Expert has the in-form Jamie Kah in the saddle this weekend on just 52kg.
The four-year-old son of Redoute’s Choice has been good this time in winning first-up at Caulfield over 1400m before a nearly four-length romp home over the mile at Moonee Valley second-up.
Last time out he was three-quarters off Gentleman Roy in the Sandown Stakes and meets that horse a kilo better off in the weights for the rematch.
Danny O’Brien’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Callsign Mav chases another Group 1 victory drawing barrier 11 with Jamie Mott continuing associations on the Atlante gelding.
The galloper carried 57.5kg to his narrow Sir Rupert success on September 17 and goes up to 58kg here.
Trust In A Gust (2014) was the last horse to complete the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes – Toorak Handicap double, and Callsign Mav is a $26 outsider to be the next.
Sandown Stakes third place-getter Pinstriped ($13) and Uncle Bryn ($15) coming off a Group 3 Naturalism Stakes second behind subsequent Turnbull Stakes winner Smokin’ Romans are the other Toorak hopefuls under $20 to post an upset on Saturday.
The Toorak Handicap 2022 is set to run as Caulfield Race 9 at 5:10pm (AEDT) as the penultimate event on the card.
Click here for the latest markets thanks to Ladbrokes.com.au.
2022 Toorak Handicap Final Field & Barrier Draw
No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 117x280x61 | CALLSIGN MAV (NZ) | Danny O’Brien | Jamie Mott | 11 | 58kg | 110 | |
2 | 8x33120x69 | CONVERGE | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 10 | 56.5kg | 107 | |
3 | 0x66546x16 | DALASAN | Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas | Jason Holder | 12 | 56kg | 106 | |
4 | x5730409x4 | LAWS OF INDICES (IRE) | Annabel Neasham | James McDonald | 15 | 56kg | 106 | |
5 | 238x123x11 | I WISH I WIN (NZ) | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 13 | 54.5kg | 103 | |
6 | 1x5237x940 | HILAL | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Craig Williams | 2 | 54kg | 102 | |
7 | 08×2606305 | BUFFALO RIVER (USA) | Michael Moroney | Daniel Stackhouse | 7 | 53.5kg | 101 | |
8 | x12x1211x3 | TUVALU | Lindsey Smith | Jarrod Fry | 1 | 53.5kg | 101 | |
9 | 1121121×21 | GENTLEMAN ROY | Ben & JD Hayes | Jye McNeil | 4 | 53kg | 100 | |
10 | 0111546×77 | BANKERS CHOICE (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Craig Newitt | 16 | 52.5kg | 99 | |
11 | x51527x112 | MILITARY EXPERT | Annabel Neasham | Ms Jamie Kah | 9 | 52kg | 97 | |
12 | 7×76116111 | NONAME LANE | Will Clarken | Ms Linda Meech | 3 | 52kg | 96 | |
13 | 1x1150x23 | PINSTRIPED | Enver Jusufovic | Michael Dee | 14 | 52kg | 96 | |
14 | 131010×734 | CHARACTER | James Cummings | Dean Yendall | 8 | 52kg | 95 | |
15 | 16x316x622 | UNCLE BRYN (GB) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Daniel Moor | 5 | 52kg | 94 | |
16 | 28×0562007 | WINNING PARTNER | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Damien Thornton | 6 | 52kg | 87 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.