Horse Racing Betting Preview: Apollo Stakes, Orr Stakes Odds, Analysis

While the top-quality racing is technically in Melbourne this weekend with the staging of the Group One CF Orr Stakes at Caulfield, the attention of the Australian racing scene will be on Randwick and the mighty mare Winx returning to the race track.

Since we last saw her demolishing her rivals in record fashion in October's Cox Plate, she has been declared the best horse in the world on turf and rated equal to the unbeaten sprinter Black Caviar in terms of her peak rating.

On Saturday in the Group Two Apollo Stakes over 1,400 meters, she aims for her 14th consecutive race-track win, having plotted an unbeaten path since April 2015 that has included nine wins at the Group One level.

As she closes in on achievements that have only been matched by Black Caviar in modern times, she is guaranteed to continue to start at ridiculously short prices.

On Saturday, she is as short as $1.12 to win, according to AustralianGambling.com.au, which, considering she is first-up and there is a query of the condition of the Randwick track given heavy rain during the week, looks extremely skinny.

She dominates the market with only one other horse, Hartnell, whom she beat by eight lengths in the Cox Plate, in single figures.

It's the highlight of what is an action-packed Randwick card, which includes 10 races. Thousand Guineas winner Global Glamour is a $3.40 favorite in the Light Fingers Stakes, while talented three-year-old Impending resumes in the Southern Cross Stakes, also as the favorite.

The Orr Stakes meeting at Caulfield is the traditional kickoff of the autumn carnival in Melbourne, with the main event a 1,400-meter weight-for-age Group One race with 12 runners.

Malaguerra won the spring's major sprint, the Darley Classic, and then resumed with a strong win in the Australia Stakes two weeks ago. He is equal favorite at $3.80 with the horse he beat home that night, Black Heart Bart, who is expected to improve significantly over the 1,400 meters.

Black Heart Bart's stablemate Lucky Hussler is third pick in the market at $7 ahead of resuming Caulfield Guineas winner Divine Prophet. In-form Sydney galloper Ecuador might prove the value at $11.

The Blue Diamond Preludes will round off the preparations of those headed to Victoria's richest two-year-old race, the Blue Diamond, in two weeks' time.

The fillies' division is first-up as Race 3, with the oddsmakers expecting it to be a match-race between the in-form pair Limestone and Catchy, who are both around the $2.90 mark.

Pariah is the $3.60 favorite for the colts' race having won easily at Rosehill at his only start.

It shapes up as a fascinating weekend of racing, with the winners of last year's Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup, Thousand Guineas, Caulfield Guineas, Emirates Stakes, Crown Oaks and Darley Classic all in action somewhere in Australia on Saturday.