Epsom Handicap at Randwick Tips, Race Previews and Selections

The Epsom Handicap is always one of the most open Group 1 races of the Sydney Spring Carnival, and a talented field of milers will contest the $1.5 million feature at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Won by the likes of Winx, Happy Clapper, Hartnell and Probabeel during the last decade, the Epsom Handicap truly is a ‘good horses’ race, and a capacity field of 20 plus emergencies is engaged this year.

I’ve run the rule over the field, and you can find my 2023 Epsom Handicap Tips below.

Suggested Bets

• 3 Units E/W #5 Converge
• Boxed Trifecta of the selections below

Epsom Handicap – Winner

I’m backing Converge to return to Group 1 winning form for the third time in his career at Randwick on Saturday.

The Frankel gelding has been a great horse for the Waterhouse & Bott yard for several seasons now, and he first tasted success at the highest level in the 2021 JJ Atkins up in Brisbane.

Having returned as a three-year-old to add the Randwick Guineas most notably, his four-year-old season was also a good one, and he went close in both the George Ryder Stakes and the Kingsford-Smith Cup most notably.

Having tuned up with a decent effort for fourth, beaten by less than two lengths in the Bill Ritchie Handicap a couple of weeks ago, he gets back to his pet trip this week, while the booking of Tim Clark adds further confidence.

Suggested Bet: No. 5 Converge

Epsom Handicap – 2nd

I would have had Nugget close to my top selection in Epsom Handicap betting had he not drawn the carpark.

That being said, I still think that he is one of the best milers engaged in this contest, and he is still up with winning with appropriate luck.

The Siyouni gelding has been knocking on the door of his first Group 1 victory since arriving in Australia, and he placed in the Doncaster Mile over route back in April.

I thought there was plenty to like about his resuming effort in the Theo Marks Stakes, and natural improvement into this would see him into the finish.

Suggested Bet: No. 11 Nugget

Epsom Handicap – 3rd

She’s one of, if not my favourite mare currently in work, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hope In Your Heart greeting the judge in the Epsom.

The Dundeel mare was outstanding during the 2022 Spring Carnival, picking off a couple of black type races before finishing fourth in The Golden Eagle most notably.

She returned big performance to fight out the finish of the Doncaster and the Queen Of The Turf Stakes in autumn this year, while she filled the minors after mustering an eye-catching turn of foot in the Tramway first-up this time.

I like that she has been back to the trials since that effort, and the booking of Craig Williams adds interest.

Suggested Bet: No. 8 Hope In Your Heart

Epsom Handicap – 4th

His fresh effort probably left a little to the imagination, but there is no denying Kovalica’s class, and I’m expecting a vastly improved effort when he takes his place in the Epsom Handicap field.

The Ocean Park gelding has won six of ten starts since debuting, placing a further two times and claiming the Queensland Derby with complete ease most notably in the winter.

He was comfortably accounted for by a few of these rivals in the Theo Mark Stakes first-up this time, but he is so-far unbeaten at this point of his preparation, and I like that he has been back to the trials in the last week.