Home
Racing

Saturday Roughies for August 22, 2026 - Value Picks Across Australia

Bets.com.au Staff

Editor

Last updated: Fri 21 Aug 2026 06:59

Bets.com.au Staff 2 hours ago

Share this article

Five roughie tips highlighted for major Saturday metro meetings
Each selection shows form or conditions to outperform market odds
Best outsider value found at Belmont, Doomben, Morphettville, Randwick, and Sandown

Vain Champagne is a big price at Sandown. (Getty)

There are some appealing outsiders across Saturday’s five major metropolitan meetings, with a handful of runners at bigger prices capable of outperforming the market.

Belmont Roughie Tip
Doomben Roughie Tip
Morphettville Roughie Tip
Randwick Roughie Tip
Sandown Roughie Tip

For our leading selections on August 22, head to Saturday’s Best Bets.

Belmont Roughie Tip

Belmont Roughie - Race 8 No. 7 Roaming America

A lightly raced profile and a history of improving through a preparation make Roaming America an interesting runner at odds in the Belmont finale, with two wins and a placing coming from just six starts.

The son of Rommel was a little keen first-up earlier this year before progressing sharply to record back-to-back victories second and third-up, with that campaign ending in a third at Belmont behind the smart Ladies Pro.

That form reads well in hindsight, with Ladies Pro later claiming two Listed races at the track, while Roaming America's August 1 return was better than the bare result after fitness appeared to give out late.

There is speed drawn around him, but Jarrod Noske should still be able to roll forward and, with a proven pattern of improving deeper into a campaign, he looks capable of outperforming his price despite the depth of this field.

Doomben Roughie Tip

Doomben Roughie - Race 6 No. 2 Mister Bianco

There was enough merit in the first-up Sir James Kirby Quality run from Mister Bianco to suggest he still has something to offer this preparation, particularly given 1000m was always going to be short of his best.

He was a little plain when fifth-of-10 in a Class 6 at Eagle Farm on August 8, although there was support for him at a decent price and he remained competitive despite never really threatening.

Blinkers go on third-up and there is some evidence Eagle Farm simply may not be his circuit, with his Doomben record reading better and including a BM70 victory with 60.5kg in June last year.

A wide barrier needs to be overcome, but the gelding is tactically versatile and should be ready to peak with two runs under the belt, making him an each-way chance at the bigger quote.

Morphettville Roughie Tip

Morphettville Roughie - Race 7 No. 6 Officiate

A sharp rise in distance makes this an interesting placement from the Bain and Taylor yard, with Officiate stepping to 1994m at just his third start for the stable after being scratched from last Saturday's Morphettville program.

He did go straight to a mile off a 1250m stable debut before finishing runner-up on July 25, while a tick-over Murray Bridge jump-out on August 6 should have helped build the fitness base for this longer assignment.

There is also some relief at the weights, with the gelding dropping to 57kg after carrying 60kg last start, while his previous form for Chris Waller included a Stakes placing last spring.

From four starts on Soft and Heavy tracks he has never missed a place and, with this yard often extracting improvement from tried horses, Officiate looks a live roughie despite the aggressive rise in trip.

Randwick Roughie Tip

Randwick Roughie - Race 2 No. 15 Empress Tsarina

Two runs since joining Todd Howlett have contained more merit than the results suggest for Empress Tsarina, who appeals at a big price in Saturday's Highway.

She was unsuited by the race shape first-up before heading to Canterbury on August 5, where she tackled a metropolitan BM64 and recorded the fastest closing sectionals of the race.

The mare now drops 3.5kg and returns to Highway company, while there were enough solid form references through her long and spaced-out first campaign to suggest this level is well within reach.

Ideally she can settle a little closer this time and, with a genuine tempo likely to help, Empress Tsarina can finish over the top of them late at an attractive each-way quote.

Sandown Roughie Tip

Sandown Roughie - Race 6 No. 7 Vain Champagne

It has been a slow start to the season for Nick Ryan, but his Flemington yard produced a strong run of results through the previous four months and showed again in July that it can land a metropolitan winner at a price.

That makes Vain Champagne worth another look despite failing to fire in two winter runs, particularly as she remains lightly raced and has previously shown the ability to produce a sharp finish when conditions suit.

The return to 1000m is a positive, with her most recent attempt at the trip coming at Flemington on December 31 when she recorded the fastest last 800m, 600m and 400m of the entire program behind Cavalry Girl.

A spacious one-turn circuit should allow her to settle, find clear air and build momentum and, while speculative on current form, the big price compensates for the risk in an open mares' sprint.