Horses To Follow — All Aged & Champagne Stakes Day

Written By Blake Johnston

Randwick, 18th April

COSMEENA (Race 1) — Complete excuse. She should have placed. Settled midfield and was travelling well into the straight before running into trouble. Should have finished much closer.

RED RAGS TO BULLS (Race 2) — He might have won. Beaten a long way but was snagged from the wide draw before being badly held up in the straight. Liked the way he closed in limited room.

OUR QUEEN (Race 3) — Began ok before being restrained and hit the line strongly against the race shape and pattern of the day. She was back in trip — further will suit.

ESTREMO (Race 3) — Good return. Settled back off the fence before hitting the line against the race shape and pattern. Further now.

TOMATO TOASTIE (Race 4 – James H B Carr Stakes) — Given a sore back. Began well before being restrained, got shuffled back, then held up. Forget the beaten margin. There were several other good runs in the race (KARINSKA, HORSESHOE HILL), so be wary of the form.

MONOPOLISTIC (Race 5 – Frank Packer Plate) — Not much luck. Began ok before running into early trouble and settled further back than intended. Closed well in limited room. Can improve sharply.

HALF YOURS (Race 9 – All Aged Stakes) — Very good late. Allowed to settle in the second half of the field and found 1400m too short. His late work was strong. Further now.

GOD’S WINDOW (Race 10) — Very good close first-up. Found the fence in the run which was an advantage, but was held up at a key stage before doing his best work through the line. Suited over further now.

ZAMBARDO (Race 10) — Began ok before going back to the rear from the wide draw. He was doing his best work through the line. Good for further.

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Cheers,

BJ

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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.

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