Ascot hosts a 10 race card on Saturday with the Karrakatta Plate / Quokka Day / Joey as the marquee sprint races of the Autumn. Weather is expected to be partly cloudy with a chance of showers in the morning before a fine afternoon with a top of 21 degrees. The track should be rated a Good 4 / Soft 5 with the rail out 5m throughout. The first race kicks off at 1.19pm AEST, and we have you covered with our best bets below!
Ascot Racing Tips: Saturday, April 18th 2026
Race 7: Karrakatta Plate 1200m - 5:00pm (AEST)
(1) Beatty – unbeaten colt looking to make it 4 from 4. He resumed with a gritty win two weeks ago over 1100m in the Perth Stakes where he SP’d a $2.10 chance before racing outside the leader throughout having to knuckle down late to get the money. Prior to that, he spun around in a trial over 1000m that was a tidy piece of work. Looking back to last prep, he was a good winner first up when settling behind a good tempo before getting over heels to score by 1.4L (fastest 4-200m and L200m splits of the race). He stayed at 1100m second up where he camped in behind a slower tempo before forcing his way out on the corner and putting a space in them (soft on the line / RED LARK since won / fastest 4-200m and second fastest L200m splits of the race). I think he’ll land up on speed behind the leaders from gate 1 and look to find clear air turning for home. He gets Pike back up and I expect him to take good improvement from the first up effort. Clear winning hope.
(4) Boy Crush – he’s the best roughie in the race. He comes through the same race behind Beatty last start, but he was forced back to last from a wide gate on a day when it was no disadvantage to be on speed / nearer the fence, yet he picked his way through the field to get within 1.7L of the winner (fastest 4-200m and L200m splits of the race / fastest L200m split of the meeting). Last prep, he was nutted on the post by They’reallsisters (big gaps behind) which ties in with key rival Maria Lucia. He’ll be much closer in running today, so $16 looks big overs.
(8) Maria Lucia – comes through the Gimcrack Stakes where she was brave in defeat behind Aurum Belle. She had to use petrol early to sit outside lead, yet she kept closing to take off ground from the winner late. She also maps for a good run from an ideal draw and can win.
(1) Beatty Win
$5.50 (1.5 Units)
Race 8: The BYD Quokka 1200m - 5:45pm (AEDT)
(1) Jigsaw – he comes through the best form lines and looks well placed to be fighting out the finish. If he drew a gate, he’d be a clear favourite, in my opinion. In saying that, I don’t think there’s a huge amount of speed inside him, so he should be able to cross over without doing a power of work. He’s won his last 6 in a row including the G1 William Reid Stakes and the G1 Sistema Railway at Ellerslie. The form has stacked up out of his last two races with Corniche going on to beat Unflinching in a high rating race (that runner is a live hope at Eagle Farm today) and Devils Night running second to Tempted in the Arrowfield Stakes. He’s in the form of his life, he loves 1200m, he goes well on dry ground, and he makes his own luck. Hard to get past.
(13) Luana Miss – she’s the best value runner in the race. She was excellent first up behind Rope Them In et al when she was held up at a key stage and only saw clear air inside the final 150m (definitely should’ve finished closer / seventh fastest L200m split of the meeting). She draws a lovely gate to settle midfield in transit, so if they overdo it in front, she’ll be flying late. She can measure up.
(2) Caballus – an obvious danger who made Joliestar work hard to beat him first up before getting a reasonably soft time of things in front when giving a good kick to fend them all off in the G1 Newmarket (beat home Angel Capital which ties in with a few key rivals). Since had a trial that was really good. His best is clearly good enough.
(1) Jigsaw Win
$4.60 (1.5 Units)
Race 9: The Drummond Gold Joey 1200m - 6:25pm (AEDT)
(3) Repossession – he’s the best weighted horse in the race under these conditions and is deserved favourite. He was well-backed first up over 1000m to beat Oscar’s Fortune (SP’d $3.80) and he hit the front inside the final furlong, but Oscar’s Fortune nailed him right on the post (beat Cessation clearly / good gaps behind / fastest 4-200m and third fastest L200m splits of the meeting). He then went to the Roma Cup over 1100m two weeks ago where he was tardy away and snagged back to last from a wide gate before getting to the outside to hit the line nicely (third fastest 4-200m and second fastest L200m splits of the race / Rope Them In, Oscar’s Fortune, Luana Miss all ran in the Quokka earlier – form franked?). He’s not won over 1200m before, but he’s been in some elite company during some of those races (finished within 3.4L of Libertad in the G1 Winterbottom, for example). He’ll be hitting peak fitness third up and he maps for an ideal run from barrier 1, he’ll just need some luck at a key stage. Great chance.
(12) Cessation – she’s been well supported since markets opened and looks to be the clear danger. She looked like she needed the run first up before hitting back nicely last week over this track/trip finishing within 0.7L of London’s Image after sitting outside the lead throughout. If she can cross over from the wide gate without using too much petrol, she’ll be hard to get past.
(2) King Adviso – stablemate to the favourite who can run them along and be hard to catch on his day. If he gets left alone in front, they’ll need to be good to beat him.
(3) Repossession Win
$2.70 (3 Units)
