2026 Doomben Cup Day Tips & Preview | Saturday 23 May 

Larrikin Rouge turned in some fine performances last time in, particularly in the early stages of his preparation, while he returned to action this time to fill the minors behind a fit Daggers on the Gold Coast. With natural improvement, he has options in the run from the rails draw and gets the services of Jason Collett this week.

Having returned to action with a fine performance to finish on the placegetters’ heels last month, Balance The Books enjoyed good improvement into a near miss behind Esjay at her only other start this time. Two previous starts over 1200m here at Doomben have returned two victories, and she’s a horse that will undoubtedly enjoy further improvement this week. She takes weight from several key rivals and looks perfectly placed, in my opinion.

I Am Dirty finished down the order behind the likes of Bangkok Hottie on debut at Randwick last month but turned in a vastly improved performance for a dominant win at Gosford last time out. This is obviously harder, but she’s got plenty of upside, Rachel King sticks, and she’s another one that should be able to find a nice position in the run from a low draw this week.

She remains a nine-start maiden, but Sylph has turned in several fine performances to place on six occasions and find form around some classy opposition since debuting. Having filled the minors behind Akaysha in the Mick Dittman Plate when resuming, it’s fair to say she was a little flat and luckless in the Gold Coast Guineas a fortnight ago. She drops in the weights, gets the services of Jamie Melham, and this is undoubtedly a weaker race.

Zealously rarely turns in a poor performance and has picked off plenty of nice races through 17 appearances, but he looked to be at his best when he returned to score a convincing victory in the Hawkesbury Gold Rush earlier this month. The form out of that race has been franked with runner up Bev’s Nine coming out and winning at Scone last weekend, while Zealously himself boasts a good second-up record. Hidden Wealth looks to be his major rival, but that horse has drawn awkwardly and carries an extra 3kgs on Zealously’s 57.5kg.

Pinito has been freshened since a credible performance for seventh in the Queen Of The Turf on Day 2 of The Championships, and prior to that race, she has won the Aspiration Quality at Group 3 level, under the urgings of McDonald. She’s been kept up to the mark with a recent trial, she’s drawn well on the inside of these rivals and in my opinion, she’s just got most of these other covered for ability.

Having placed in the NZ Oaks back in February, Single Red returned from a short break for a dominant victory at Te Rapa last month and was only denied by the impressive Nightline in the Gold Coast Bracelet upon arriving in Australia. Given that horse is back in the paddock and there doesn’t look to be anything of her quality engaged, Single Red is a horse that can capitalise, particularly fitter third up and further out in trip.

Cups King, Half Yours steps out alongside the likes of Vauban, Birdman, Pride Of Jenni and She’s A Hustler, and there is a genuine case to be made for all of them. That said, there can only be one winner, and I think it will be Half Yours. We know how good this horse is. He won both the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup at the end of his spring prep, and while he’s yet to strike in two runs back this time, both have been full of merit. Third up this week, he’ll almost certainly have a far better fitness edge to deal with the breakneck speed likely to be set up front by Pride Of Jenni, obviously any rise in trip his going to suit Half Yours, and he has upside where the likes of Birdman might have peaked at his last start.

Harry’s Yacht has returned to action in fine form this time, picking off some nice races at Caulfield, including a lucrative VOBIS race in March before being freshened and returning to only just miss behind King Of Roseau in the Takeover Target Stakes a fortnight ago. With improvement and luck from the wide alley, I think he’s over the odds at his opening quote.