Black Book - 23rd May

May 26

We were on a deteriorating track at Randwick on Saturday but it seemingly played even despite ‘most’ horses angling to the middle track, Sienna Grima was able to take advantage with her claim to ride a treble - all three were back to the inside. Here are three horses that we can follow moving forward:

CONGRESSMAN: He was beaten a couple of lengths but was far from disgraced second-up from more than 400-days between runs. He began well before rolling forward on a searching run, he wasn’t able to slot in and covered extra ground without cover on the speed. He hit the front at the top of the straight but wasn’t able to finish off on the back of a tough run. He can only strip fitter for that and we can expect sharp improvement next time with a more economical run in transit. Follow him in similar grade.

NEESON: He had no favours travelling three and four wide without cover. He travelled into the race like the winner but couldn’t finish off on the back of the hard on speed run. I like the way that he cruises into races and he looks a future Highway winner to my eye. He can only improve off that performance third-up and further is no problem.

THEBUDGIESMUGLA: Lovely win third-up getting to a staying trip quickly. He faced the breeze on an even tempo and when a good wet tracker with a fitness advantage and claim (CASUAL CONNECTION) came to get him, he was in for the fight. He can only progress from that performance and it’s always good to stick with these horses that can make their luck on speed and quicken.

On Saturday we tipped two winners from three including our value bet at $9.90, and the miss was beaten a nose. Get this Saturday’s tips included in your First Week Free here.

Good luck on the punt,

Blake Johnston

Blake Johnston is an Australian horse racing analyst, professional punter, and founder of The Leg Up Australia, a leading platform providing horse racing tips, betting strategy, and market analysis for Australian racing.

Before working full-time for punters, Blake spent years inside the betting industry, working with major bookmakers including bet365, UBet (Tabcorp), Unibet, and TopBetta (now BetMakers). His role involved compiling markets, assessing winning probabilities, and understanding how bookmakers frame prices — experience that now shapes his analytical approach to betting.

This industry background gives Blake a rare perspective on how betting markets are created, where prices can be wrong, and how disciplined punters can identify long-term value in horse racing markets.

Blake is also the 2024 Tipster of the Year (TheGreatTipOff) and hosts one of Australia’s most popular horse racing podcasts, where he breaks down races, discusses betting strategy, and helps punters understand the thinking behind professional wagering decisions.

Through The Leg Up, Blake provides:

• Daily horse racing tips across major Australian meetings

• Saturday feature race previews and Group 1 analysis

• Black Book horses and replay analysis

• Betting strategy and bankroll management insights

• Access to a fast-growing Discord community of serious punters

Blake’s philosophy is simple: successful punting isn’t about chasing winners — it’s about finding value, managing risk, and beating the market over time.

His work focuses on structured form analysis, speed maps, race shape, and market intelligence, helping everyday punters approach betting with the discipline and framework used by professionals.

Today, The Leg Up Australia has built a community of thousands of punters who follow Blake’s insights to bet smarter and understand the game behind the game.

Black Book - 23rd May

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