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Mr Miller’s Epsom Handicap Credentials Solidified in 2026 Win

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The Chris Waller-trained Mr Miller exhibited considerable class when he comfortably won the Bankstown Sports Handicap over 1500 metres.

Although this was a benchmark 78 race, Mr Miller is evidently a horse destined for greater things and is now being considered for a start in the highly competitive Group 1 $1.5 million Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on October 3.

While Waller was attending the Memsie Stakes meeting at Caulfield, stable assistant Darren Beadman spoke highly of the colt.

“Mr Miller should be five (wins) from five (starts),” Beadman commented. “He’s a very push-button type of horse and puts himself into the right spots in his races. He has the turn of foot to put them away quickly.”

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The $1.90 favourite, Mr Miller, delivered a performance that aligned with his market position under jockey Tommy Berry, surging clear to win by three lengths. He defeated stablemate Invader Zim ($61) and Silvanito ($31) finished third.

Jockey Tommy Berry, despite battling influenza, had a highly successful day, having already ridden three winners from the first five races on the program after earlier wins on Transcend and Zalique.

“I certainly don’t feel like I’ve ridden three winners,” Berry stated. “But it is worth it when you get to ride nice horses like Mr Miller.

“He’s a real natural, this bloke. He’s very fast out of the machines then as soon as you put him in a spot, he switches off.

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“I loved how he picked up around the bend and he feels like he has so many gears.

“He hit the front a long way out and wanted to have a look around but I still made him find the line as he will be up against bigger races and stronger opposition soon.”

This victory was the third from just five starts for Mr Miller, a four-year-old by Almanzor, adding to two previous, albeit unlucky, second placings.

TAB Fixed Odds reacted by significantly reducing his quote for the Epsom Handicap to $11, making him an equal third favourite. He is currently behind the undefeated New Zealand mare Well Written ($4.50) and Autumn Boy ($6).

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Beadman noted that Mr Miller’s current handicap rating might be insufficient for Epsom Handicap inclusion. However, Waller has the option to target qualifying races such as the Cameron Handicap, Bill Ritchie Handicap, or Shannon Stakes to earn a start in the feature Randwick mile event.

“I think his rating might be too low to get into an Epsom at the moment but he could get there through one of those qualifying races,” Beadman explained. “Chris has given him plenty of time and everything this horse has done so far has been very impressive.

“He is certainly a horse that is getting everyone to take notice of him.”

The Epsom Handicap is a major target for many horses this season, and the betting action is expected to be intense. Keep an eye on the online bookmakers for the latest odds and offers.

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Jelena Ostapenko vs Tatjana Maria preview, head-to-head, odds, prediction & betting tips

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Match Details

Fixture: (30) Jelena Ostapenko vs Tatjana Maria

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Date: September 1, 2026

Tournament: US Open Tennis Championships

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Category: Grand Slam

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Surface: Outdoor hard

Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Queens, New York City

Prize Money: $108,000,000

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN

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Jelena Ostapenko vs Tatjana Maria preview

Ostapenko enters off a straight-sets loss to Magdalena Frech in the second round of the Cincinnati Open, a result that exposed some inconsistency against ranked opposition in just 81 minutes. She’s had an up-and-down season overall, highlighted by a semifinal run at the Qatar Open in February, but she’s continued to struggle for consistency on hard courts since.

Maria also comes on the back of a straight-sets loss to Diana Shnaider in Cincinnati, following a solid earlier win over Dayana Yastremska in her opener. At 39, she remains one of the more unconventional threats on tour with her slice-heavy, one-handed game, and she had a runner-up finish at the Eastbourne Open this summer, even after a Round of 16 exit as the defending champion at Queen’s Club back in June.

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Jelena Ostapenko vs Tatjana Maria head-to-head

Maria won their first meeting at Wimbledon 2022, then won again at this year’s Eastbourne semifinal when Ostapenko retired due to illness while trailing. Neither match has been on hard courts.


Jelena Ostapenko vs Tatjana Maria odds

Player Moneyline Handicap Bets Total Games
Jelena Ostapenko -185 -2.5 (-135) Under 21.5 (-125)
Tatjana Maria +140 +2.5 (-110) Over 21.5 (-115)

(Odds via BetMGM)


Jelena Ostapenko vs Tatjana Maria prediction

Maria’s 2-0 head-to-head edge is notable, but it comes with real caveats: both wins were on grass, a surface that flatters her slice-heavy, disruptive game far more than hard courts do. Her career hard-court record, a losing 255-248 mark, reflects exactly that gap, and this season she’s just 5-12 specifically on the surface.

Ostapenko, by contrast, has a winning hard-court record this year at 9-10, and her flat, powerful ball-striking is generally built to punish exactly the kind of slower, spin-heavy shots Maria relies on, once the surface removes some of the low, skidding bounce grass provides. Her Cincinnati loss showed her form is still shaky, but the surface change here works in her favor regardless of recent results.

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Given how much the head-to-head history is tied to grass specifically, and the surface shift now favoring Ostapenko’s game far more than Maria’s, this looks like a spot where current conditions should outweigh recent history.

Pick: Ostapenko to win in straight sets.


Jelena Ostapenko vs Tatjana Maria betting tips

Tip 1: The match will have at least 20 games.

Tip 2: Ostapenko to win a set via tiebreak.

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