Dean Watling was on SEN on Tuesday morning looking ahead to some of the autumn features with Gareth Hall and the team. Below are a number of horses Watling is keen to back in Futures markets.
Oakleigh Plate
It’s important to note the G1 Oakleigh Plate is a week after the Lightning Stakes, which should see a lot of these horses not turn up. Also key to note it’s run under handicap conditions, which will likely see many WFA horses bypass the race.
Point Barrow $6 – Yes, she’s favourite, but this looks to be a perfect race for this talented filly. She has a rating of 88, while Gatsby’s got into the race with 50kg off a rating of 90. She should get in extremely light, and we know she’s a straight-track horse.
Point Barrow shows her class. 👏
🖥 #MelbCupCarnival | Live and Free on Channel 9 and 9Now.#9WWOS #OaksDay #Racing pic.twitter.com/hbTONtScqL
— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) November 6, 2025
All-Star Mile
Loved diving into this race. It’s a 1600m grand final-type event very early in the autumn, which is key to note.
$3.75 Ceolwulf heads the market. Poison odds for a horse who needs his races run to suit, and he isn’t even confirmed to be heading there.
Horses I like:
Sepals $17 – Second in the Golden Eagle over 1500m. Likely comes into this off a Futurity run. $17 is huge odds for a horse with a bomb-proof pattern.
Treasurethe Moment $4.50 – I think 1600m is her best trip. Probably not a bet now at $4.50, but I could easily see her starting favourite.
Lightning Stakes
This race looks likely to drop away significantly. Tempted will go to the Light Fingers (1200m) into the G1 Surround Stakes (1400m). Headwall hasn’t trialled yet and I doubt he’ll be ready. War Machine is nominated for the Australia Stakes (1200m) and won’t drop back to 1000m.
Tentyris $3.50 – Target race. Yes, he needed racing in the spring to come up, and 1000m isn’t his ideal trip, but that campaign was off a 30-week spell. With Royal Ascot the aim, I think the camp will have him ready to go fresh here.
Timed to perfection 🫡
TENTYRIS takes out the first of the Group 1s in the @coolmorestud Stakes.
🎥 @wwos | #DerbyDay | #MelbCupCarnival pic.twitter.com/hJCrbul7bB
— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 1, 2025
Blue Diamond
Happy to take a Sydney approach to this race. No confirmation yet that these three will line up, but at the odds you can do worse than having $10 on each.
Diamond Heist $26 – Outstanding 600m trial. Well bred and from an astute 2yo/3yo camp. Look for a second trial next week.
Incognito $26 – Current Golden Slipper favourite and G2 Breeders Plate winner. She had her first trial back for the prep last Thursday (15th), looking in sync with the likes of Manaal, Lady Shenandoah and Beiwacht. For her to be up this early gives me hope she’ll head south.
Lady Moscato $51 – Made her debut on Saturday in the Gold Coast “Debut Race” over 1000m. Interestingly, that race rated higher than the GC Magic Millions 2yo race. She’s up and racing now, and the Waterhouse & Bott camp love sending a couple down for the Diamond.
Golden Slipper
As mentioned last week, I’m very keen to take the price about a couple of unraced types.
Miss Scandal $19 – Well bred, right camp, and looks likely to make her debut Friday at Canterbury. Outstanding trials.
Fiaba – Not in the market yet but is active. Extremely well bred out of the smart mare Pinocchio, a half to Classique Legend. Loved her first trial.
Warwoven $9 – Out of sight, out of mind at this price. Was $1.80 to win the Magic Millions 2yo race on Saturday before a very minor foot issue. Still over two months until the Slipper; the setback might be a gift come race day. If she had won Saturday (which she would have by 2L+), she wouldn’t be $9.
Magic Millions here we come!! 🔥
The well-built son of Sword of State, WARWOVEN, scores another eye catching victory and maintains his unbeaten record for @BBakerRacing.
He was purchased with @ClarkeBstock from @kiaorastud draft at @mmsnippets Gold Coast Yearling Sale. pic.twitter.com/ZoaJiYf5PM
— Ridgmont (@ridgmont_) January 3, 2026
