Toorak Handicap 2021

In a hurry? We’ve listed all the quick facts that you need to know about the Toorak Handicap:

The Toorak Handicap is a Group 1 race which takes place each year in October. The race in 2021 will be held on Saturday 9th October at Caulfield Racecourse. Looking back to the race in 2020, it was won by Mr Quickie.

The Toorak Handicap is a 1,600m Group 1 race held at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne. It has a total prize pool of $500,000 and many horses who compete in the race go on to feature in the Emirates Stakes later in spring. In 2021, the Toorak Handicap will be run on Saturday, October 9, the same day as three other Group 1s at Caulfield.

Some of the greats of the turf have won the Toorak Handicap, which is no surprise considering its rich history. Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup winner Galilee won the race in 1966 and a year later two-time Cox Plate winner Tobin Bronze claimed victory. More recently we’ve seen the likes of Divine Madonna and More Joyous cross the line in first.

There have been five runners who have won the Toorak Handicap – Caulfield Cup double. The first to do it was The Trump in 1937, however, no horse has done it since Leilani in 1974.

Darren Weir had experienced great success in the Toorak Handicap before he was banned from the sport. He trained four winners between 2014 and 2018, with the David Hayes-trained He’s Our Rokkii spoiling a potential five-peat in 2016.

In 2020, Mr Quickie lived up to its name by clocking a time of 1:35.81 to win the Toorak Handicap. It was a decent time but not the best the race has seen over the last 20 years. That honour belongs to Land Of Plenty, who in 2018 ran the Caulfield 1,600m in 1:34.52.

The Toorak Handicap is a 1,600 meter Australian Group 1 race that brings some of the best sprinters in the country to Caulfield Racecourse in Victoria. Our expert tipsters will put together a short list of Toorak Handicap tips to look out for in the leadup to the big race.

As nominations for the 2021 Toorak Handicap are still open, it is hard to provide any updates at this time. However, when looking at the futures markets for the 2021 Toorak Handicap, Mick Price & Michael Kent’s Ayrton is on the top line of betting, being priced as the $8.00 favourite. The New Zealand geldings rise up the charts is off the back of his 4-1-0 record from five career races, including victories in Echuca, Caulfield and Eagle Farm this season.

We will list The Sharks’ Toorak Handicap best tips for the race this year closer to the time of the race. Make sure you check back on this page for updates!

Toorak Handicap Tips From Experts

Our tips are not out for the Toorak Handicap in 2021 as it is too far out from the event. But the good news is that when the final field for the Toorak Handicap is announced, we will provide guidance on each and every runner in the 2021 Toorak Handicap.

You will find all this information below, when it becomes available. Stay tuned!

Like many of the top Group 1’s in the Spring Racing Carnival, the Toorak Handicap has a mixed betting history and there are a lot of important factors to consider before betting at Caulfield.

Make sure you have a read on below before you place your bets:

Should I Bet On The Favourite in the Toorak Handicap?

Despite the quality of runners and the size of the fields, the Toorak Handicap has actually been relatively kind to punters in recent years. Between 2010 and 2020, five favourites have passed the post first and in four of the past five meetings, the winners have had starting prices of $10 or less.

Although history would suggest that the favourites ride well a the Toorak Handicap, large upsets are also not uncommon with the likes of Mr Quickie ($21 in 2020), Allez Wonder ($41 in 2009) and Fierce Impact ($18 in 2019) all winning the race at long odds.

Is Previous Form in the Toorak Handicap a Good Indicator of Future Success?

Like any race, the form and success of a horse entering the Toorak Handicap is important. When looking at the previous winners of the Toorak Handicap, something that is a common trend is their lead up form in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

This race has produced more recent Toorak Handcap winners than any other alternative lead-up, with six winners in the last eight meetings. Be sure to keep an eye on the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes when accessing the Toorak Handicap field.

Gender

A good way of filtering through your Toorak Handicap top bets every year is to start by ruling out almost all of the mares in the field. We do not mean to discriminate based on the gender of the horse, however between 2000 and 2020 only three mares have won the Toorak Handicap, with More Joyous being the most recent winner back in 2010.

Weight

Weight is something to strongly consider when it comes to horse racing. However, punters should be aware of the fact that despite it’s previous perception of being a light weights race, the Toorak Handicap has boasted several recent winners that are carrying 58kgs or more.

This includes winners such as Mr Quickie (2020), Lucky Hussler (2015), Solzhenitsyn (2012), King Mufhasa (2011) and More Joyous (2010). With this in mind, bettors should not automatically cross off a horse that is carrying extra weight.

Age

Age is also another distinctive factor in determining a winner of any open handicap race and the Toorak Handicap is no different. Four year old’s are the most successful age group in this race. This often occurs due to multiple four-year-olds nominating for the Toorak Handicap each year, and they are often carrying less weight and on the cusp of their career-best form.

Toorak Handicap Best Bets

Our Toorak Handicap best bets for 2021 are not out just yet, make sure you keep an eye out on this page as we will provide more details about our best bets when the final field is announced.

You will find our best bets below once available. Stay tuned!

As the Toorak Handicap is one of Australia’s most prestigious mile races, bookies look to release odds for the race several months prior to the field being set. All horses that are likely to run in the upcoming Toorak Handicap are given odds by bookmakers so punters can participate in what is known as futures betting.

Futures betting occurs when a betting market is available before the final field is known, allowing punters to get in early on a horse that they believe will both make it into the final field and win or place in the race.

Here are the current odds for the top 10 favorites in the 2021 Toorak Handicap, courtesy of Sportsbet:

(Odds current as of early August, 2021.)

When looking at a horse racing field, it is essentially just the lineup of horses that will be taking part in any given race. As one of the leading mile races in the Spring Racing Carnival, there should be no surprise that the Toorak Handicap field is normally very strong. It is also normally large, and its size can make it difficult for punters to find a winner.

With the 2021 Toorak Handicap field yet to be determined, let’s take a look back at the 2020 field, headlined by winner Mr Quickie:

With the race yet to be run, we still don’t know what the Toorak Handicap results for 2021 will be! However, check back in after the race and we will have all of the information on how the big race went and what the results are.

Looking back at last year, Michael Moroney’s Buffalo River was the rail leader around the turn and the five year old favourite looked poised for a victory after kicking away early in the straight.

However, once Jamie Kah straightened up Mr Quickie for the final sprint, the $21 outsider began to make up ground before winning the 2021 Toorak Handicap by two lengths with a time of 1:35.81. Buffalo River held on for a second placed finish, while Grant and Alana Williams’ Superstorm rounded out the podium in third, two and a half lengths behind the winner.

You’ve read the words, now watch the video! Have a squiz below at the 2020 Toorak Handicap race:

Here are the results from the Toorak Handicap in 2020:

Toorak Handicap Winners

The results for the upcoming Toorak Handicap are not yet available, but in the meantime, you can have a look below at all the recent past winners: