Saturday Racing Previews - May 31, 2025

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Caulfield Betting Tips for May 31, 2025 - Best Bets for Bel Esprit Stakes Day

Alex Marsh

Editor

Last updated: Thu 29 May 2025 08:27

Alex Marsh 29 May 2025

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Caulfield to host a nine-race program on May 31
Top picks: Big Swinger and Niance tipped to win
Value bets: Consider Sunsets and Cafe Millenium as long-shots

Expired

The Listed Bel Esprit Stakes features on Saturday's Caulfield program. (Getty)

Caulfield hosts a nine-race program on May 31 and Saturday's preview is included below.

Caulfield Tips May 31
Catanach's Jewellers Handicap Tips (Race 3)
JRA Handicap Tips (Race 6)
Ian Miller Handicap Tips (Race 7)
Sportsbet Bel Esprit Stakes Tips (Race 8)
Darren Gauci Handicap (Race 9)

Caulfield Tips May 31

Catanach's Jewellers Handicap Tips (Race 3)

Caulfield Next Best Bet - Race 3 No. 1 Big Swinger

While he was a little flat at start three as a beaten fav, Big Swinger was at the end of his first prep via a hat-trick bid on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.

He returned with a strong performance at Pakenham, where the three-year-old ran the fastest last fastest last 600m, 400m and 200m of the March 20 card.

Big Swinger was a beaten fav in the Group 2 Arrowfield sprint second-up, but there was still a lot of merit to that last run (fastest closing sectionals of the meeting).

JRA Handicap Tips (Race 6)

Caulfield Favourite - Race 6 No. 3 Jimmy The Bear

It was a brave fresh effort from Jimmy The Bear, who covered ground from off the speed in a fast-run race that was taken out by a talented War Machine.

After a dominant victory in last Saturday's BRC Sprint, War Machine is now fav for the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap, so the form has been well and truly franked.

Jimmy The Bear is against key rivals who he defeated fresh despite a tough run and the gelding often improves second-up (two wins and two seconds from four second-up runs).

Ian Miller Handicap Tips (Race 7)

Caulfield Value Bet - Race 7 No. 8 Sunsets

He doesn't seem as effective at Moonee Valley and/or on heavy ground, which have been factors in three of his four runs this campaign and his best effort came at Caufield.

Sunsets was 1500m to 2000m in the Group 3 Easter Cup here and in a fast-run affair, it was a fair early prep run (the three that settled ahead of him all dropped out).

While he didn't relish a Heavy 8, Sunsets was still ridden too cold via his last outing at Flemington and the son of Dundeel can land closer here from gate one.

Sportsbet Bel Esprit Stakes Tips (Race 8)

Caulfield Best Bet - Race 8 No. 7 Niance

It's a shame that a paddock injury forced Niance out the autumn carnivals, as the mare appeared set for big races (she looked a perfect Sangster and/or Goodwood horse).

The Grahame Begg-trained sprinter was two-from-two in spring (both at Caulfield) and she defied the track pattern when leading into a strong wind via her last triumph.

Niance has a perfect first-up record and while there has been a setback, her two jump-out's leading into Saturday's return suggests that she's ready to go.

Darren Gauci Handicap (Race 9)

Caulfield Roughie - Race 9 No. 1 Cafe Millenium

On stable debut for the Hayes yard is Cafe Millenium and while the four-year-old has a poor strike-rate, he's been competitive in much stronger company than this.

He's been quite sharp in two public showings ahead of this 1200m assignment, with a Pakenham jump-out win before taking a Caulfield-Heath trial.

Cafe Millenium is hard to trust, although he could easily blow away a field of this strength and a wide draw is no negative for a big horse who needs galloping room.

Verdict

Caulfield- May 31

Our best & value bets for Saturday's Caulfield meeting are:

Niance

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Big Swinger

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Sunsets

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$17.00 - 1 Unit

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Cafe Millenium

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$19.00 - 1 Unit

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