Overview
Antalian has been to Ballarat three times and come home in the first three on every visit, winning twice. He gets his chance to make it a third course win in Race 8, with John Allen back in the saddle for Nathan Blackiston, a combination that has won three of its eight Ballarat starts together since the start of 2025 and placed in six.
That is the anchor of today’s Ballarat racing tips, but it is far from the only story. Ciaron Maher sends a team of a dozen runners up the highway, and his record here is the kind you respect: 17 winners and 48 placegetters from 89 Ballarat starters. The nine-race card opens with five maidens, which means plenty of lightly raced horses and a few genuine guesses, before the benchmark races take over from 3:30PM. The track is rated Good on turf, so there are no excuses on the ground. Read on for a view on every race, the stables and riders worth following, and where we would put the money.
Reading the Ballarat card
Course form is thin among the maidens, as you would expect, but a handful of the older horses on the back half of the card have real Ballarat history. These are today’s runners with three or more starts at the track.
| Horse | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swycho | 5 | 1 | 2 | 20% | 40% |
| Antalian | 3 | 2 | 3 | 67% | 100% |
| Brave Carol | 4 | 1 | 1 | 25% | 25% |
| Russian Duchess | 3 | 1 | 1 | 33% | 33% |
| Wavelets | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0% | 33% |
| Hot Pot Dot | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% |
| Into You | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% |
The riding ranks are more useful. John Allen is the volume rider here and the place rate holds up over a big sample, while Lachlan Neindorf and Will Egan have both been hitting the frame at better than one ride in two.
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Radley | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | 83% |
| Ethan Brown | 5 | 3 | 4 | 60% | 80% |
| Lachlan Neindorf | 19 | 5 | 13 | 26% | 68% |
| W Egan | 31 | 6 | 18 | 19% | 58% |
| John Allen | 141 | 28 | 77 | 20% | 55% |
| L Currie | 27 | 4 | 13 | 15% | 48% |
| Thomas Stockdale | 23 | 6 | 11 | 26% | 48% |
| Damian Lane | 17 | 4 | 7 | 24% | 41% |
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A & S Freedman | 13 | 3 | 9 | 23% | 69% |
| G M Begg | 14 | 5 | 9 | 36% | 64% |
| M M Laurie | 15 | 3 | 9 | 20% | 60% |
| Tom Dabernig | 30 | 7 | 17 | 23% | 57% |
| C Maher | 89 | 17 | 48 | 19% | 54% |
| T & C Mcevoy | 53 | 14 | 28 | 26% | 53% |
| Nick Ryan | 21 | 5 | 11 | 24% | 52% |
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Ballarat racing tips: race by race
Race 1: Epijoint Mdn Plate, 12:35PM, 1000m
Maher starts the day the way he often finishes it, with a lightly raced horse that has already shown something. Moon God ran third on debut and drops into a 1000m maiden with the inside gate and the light weight of 54kg. Jabez Johnstone rides, and the Johnstone and Maher pairing has produced 42 winners from 188 rides since the start of 2025. That is a working partnership, not a one-off booking.
Kokeshi is the experienced one. The last preparation read second, fourth, fourth and seventh, so she knows how to find the frame without ever quite getting there. Hegely placed on her only Ballarat start and is another with the race fitness edge. Small win bet on Moon God; Kokeshi is the saver if you want one.
Race 2: Manhari Mdn Plate, 1:10PM, 1400m
Does a debut second beat four starts of consistency? That is the question here. Vulcana ran second first time out for Maher and Thomas Stockdale, who has six winners from 23 rides at this track, and the step up to 1400m suits a filly that was finishing off on debut.
Hurricane Girl is the honest one. She has placed in three of her four runs in the past 90 days and was placed on her only Ballarat visit, which makes her very hard to leave out of the trifecta. Anglais has placed in both of her recent starts as well. Back Vulcana to win, and use Hurricane Girl underneath.
Race 3: Peter Tobin Funerals Mdn Plate, 1:45PM, 1600m
Latassa is heading the right way. Fifth, then fourth, then a second last start, and the mile at Ballarat looks the right trip for a filly who keeps finding more late. She draws gate one, so the run should come without having to go around the field.
The danger is Endemic for the Moody and Coleman stable. She has run third at both of her starts, one of them here, and she gets 2.5kg off Latassa. Dame Of Dubai ran second on debut and cannot be dismissed either. Latassa to win, Endemic the saver.
Race 4: Ac Accounting Mdn Plate, 2:20PM, 1200m
Perfect Dismount reads ninth, fifth, second. That is the classic maiden progression, and Declan Bates, who has ridden 11 Ballarat winners, keeps the ride. Of his two runs in the past 90 days he has placed once, and the second last time was the best of them.
This is also where the Maher numbers start to complicate things, because he runs three: Perfect Dismount, Scoville (second on debut) and the first starter Bogey Free. The market will likely split its support across the stable, which is exactly why Perfect Dismount appeals as the value play. Unkechaug, second then third in two starts, is the outside danger. Win bet on Perfect Dismount.
Race 5: Hygain Edge Mdn Plate, 2:55PM, 1200m
Two horses, two different stories. Nishioka has had two starts and run second in both, and Ethan Brown has been in hot touch here, with three winners from his five Ballarat rides. The problem is barrier 16, which means Brown has to decide early whether to push forward or drop back.
She’s Loaded has the opposite profile: six starts, no wins, but four placings from five runs in the past 90 days and John Allen in the saddle. She will be there at the finish; the question is whether she ever wins one. We prefer Nishioka to win, with She’s Loaded our each-way play of the day.
Race 6: Power FM (Bm56), 3:30PM, 1200m
Hard to have a confident view. Brave Carol is the only runner with a Ballarat win, one from four visits, but she has placed only once in four runs over the past 90 days. Smart Little Miss placed in her only start here and carries the 63kg topweight.
If forced, Vivid Blooms. Her last two runs were a fourth and a third, she placed on her only Ballarat start, and she has the minimum 58kg. This is a watch race. A small each-way on Vivid Blooms at most.
Race 7: Magic Millions (Bm62), 4:10PM, 1000m
Damian Lane does not often turn up at Ballarat on a Friday, so when he does, people notice. He rides Sharing Moments for Scott Cameron, a pairing that has won twice from nine rides since 2025, the most recent a week ago. Lane has four Ballarat winners from 17 rides.
But we will take Semantics. She won her only run in the past 90 days, has had just two starts, and meets Sharing Moments 4kg better at the weights. Ethan Brown rides for the Freedmans, whose Ballarat runners place more than two times in three. Skjaldmo won first up last start and is the third leg. Win bet on Semantics, with Sharing Moments the main danger.
Race 8: Sportsbet Race Replays (Bm62), 4:50PM, 1600m
The best bet on the card. Antalian has three Ballarat starts for two wins and a placing, and the form line coming in reads third, first, first, first, eighth, third. In the past 90 days he has one win and two placings from three runs, so the eighth was the exception rather than a slide.
John Allen knows him and knows the track. Allen and Blackiston have teamed up eight times at Ballarat since January 2025 for three wins and six placings, and Allen himself has ridden 28 winners here. Antalian does carry the 62kg topweight, which is the only real knock.
Perfect Night is the one to fear. Second, first, fourth, third, fourth across his recent starts, and he gets 3.5kg from the topweight with Jackson Radley, who has placed on five of his six rides here. Kiwi Jenni is a Maher runner that has placed twice in four recent runs and fills out the trifecta. Antalian to win, with a saver exacta on Perfect Night.
Race 9: Hygain Edge (Bm62), 5:30PM, 1400m
Invisible Magic has run in the first three in all four starts over the past 90 days, winning one, and that consistency is exactly what you want to finish a multi. Maher trains, Johnstone rides, and barrier five gives him options from a big field.
Hidden Witness is the mirror image: four placings from four recent runs and both Ballarat starts in the frame, but no win among them. Neziha won her only run in the past 90 days for the Hayes stable and is the improver in the race. Swycho has the most course experience in the field, a win and two placings from five starts here. Invisible Magic to win; Hidden Witness the danger for the minor money.
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18+ T&C’s Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C’s Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
Where the money goes
NAP: Antalian (Race 8, 4:50PM). He has never been worse than third at Ballarat, and the rider who knows him best is back on.
Value: Perfect Dismount (Race 4, 2:20PM). Maher has three in the race and the market tends to follow the debut seconds, so the horse with the rising form line can get overlooked.
Banker: Invisible Magic (Race 9, 5:30PM). Four runs in the past 90 days, four top-three finishes. That is the multi leg.
Each-way: She’s Loaded (Race 5, 2:55PM). Four placings from five recent runs, John Allen up, and a field that should let her finish off.
Course angle: Ciaron Maher’s runners at Ballarat. A dozen of them today, against a record of 48 placings from 89 starters at this track. Box them in the exotics and the hit rate does the rest.
If Antalian salutes again, Blackiston might as well keep his Ballarat booking in pencil for the rest of the spring.
FAQ
What time does racing start at Ballarat today?
Race 1, the Epijoint Maiden Plate over 1000m, jumps at 12:35PM local time. The last, the Hygain Edge Benchmark 62 over 1400m, is at 5:30PM.
Who are the top trainers and jockeys at Ballarat?
Ciaron Maher has 17 winners and 48 placegetters from 89 Ballarat starters and runs 12 horses today. Among the riders, John Allen has 28 winners from 141 rides here, and Lachlan Neindorf has placed on 13 of his 19 Ballarat rides.
What are the best bets at Ballarat today?
Our Ballarat best bet is Antalian in Race 8, two wins and a placing from three course starts. Invisible Magic in Race 9 is the banker, having placed in all four of his runs in the past 90 days.
Where can I find the best odds for Ballarat races?
Markets were not open when these Ballarat predictions were written. Check the racecard for each race on Racingbase for the best available price across our partner bookmakers once betting opens.