Overview
Keikoku has run at Canberra seven times and finished in the first three on every one of those visits. That is the single most bankable fact on Friday’s card, and he lines up in Race 4 over the 1000m he knows best, fresh off a win and a second in his last two runs. If you only read one race preview today, make it that one.
Zoom out and there are eight races on a Good track, starting at 1:22PM and wrapping up with the Class 2 at 5:43PM. The feature is the Tony Campbell Memorial Cup over 1600m, a wide-open handicap where consistency matters more than brilliance. These Canberra racing tips walk through every race, flag the stables that travel here with intent, and finish with where the money actually goes. Early markets are up for the first three races only, so prices quoted below are the best on offer at the time of writing and later races are assessed on form.
Reading the Canberra card
Two stables stand out on volume. K Dryden and L Snowden have eight runners today and have saddled 8 winners from 43 starters at the track. Luke Pepper brings six and has the biggest Canberra sample of any trainer here at 51 runners. The more interesting number belongs to Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald: 5 wins and 12 placings from 17 runners, which means they hit the frame with roughly seven of every ten horses they bring.
In the saddle, Pierre Boudvillain is the volume rider with 51 Canberra rides and books five mounts today. Mollie Fitzgerald has only nine rides here, but she has won on three and placed on eight of them, and she partners Rapid Reigns and Iowna Benz.
Horses with real course form
| Horse | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keikoku | 7 | 1 | 7 | 14% | 100% |
| Showtime Maggie | 5 | 2 | 2 | 40% | 40% |
| Burgundy Girl | 4 | 1 | 1 | 25% | 25% |
| Pure Melody | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0% | 67% |
| Good Prize | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0% | 33% |
| La Stiava | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0% | 33% |
Jockeys (5+ Canberra rides)
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mollie Fitzgerald | 9 | 3 | 8 | 33% | 89% |
| A B Collett | 26 | 6 | 14 | 23% | 54% |
| Damon Budler | 21 | 3 | 10 | 14% | 48% |
| Pierre Boudvillain | 51 | 8 | 23 | 16% | 45% |
| Amy McLucas | 17 | 2 | 6 | 12% | 35% |
Trainers (3+ Canberra runners)
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rob Potter | 13 | 2 | 10 | 15% | 77% |
| Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | 17 | 5 | 12 | 29% | 71% |
| Matthew Smith | 15 | 4 | 9 | 27% | 60% |
| Matthew Kelley | 27 | 5 | 10 | 19% | 37% |
| Luke Pepper | 51 | 7 | 18 | 14% | 35% |
| K Dryden & L Snowden | 43 | 8 | 15 | 19% | 35% |
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Race by race
Race 1: Rumore Family (Bm50), 1:22PM, 1200m
Showtime Maggie is the one horse in this field that has proven she can win around here. Two wins from five Canberra starts is a genuine local record for a Benchmark 50 mare, and her last 90 days show a win and three placings from five runs, so the form is current as well as local. Glenn Cahill takes the ride for the Dryden and Snowden stable, and barrier 5 puts her in the right spot to hold a position without being caught three wide.
The Glen is the danger. He is a four year old who keeps finishing in the first five and gets in at 59.5kg, a kilo lighter than the mare. If he finally strings a clean run together he has the scope to improve past her. Showtime Maggie is $3.90 with Unibet and The Glen $5.00 with Bet Right.
Win bet on Showtime Maggie. Small saver on The Glen if you like covering the young horse.
Race 2: Jessica Heaton Mdn Plate, 1:57PM, 1600m
Does a three year old with two career starts beat a group of older maidens who have had every chance? Mr Tucci says yes. He has had two runs in the last 90 days for one placing, including a second at his only Canberra start, and the step to 1600m looks the right move for a horse still learning. Richard Litt has had five Canberra runners for three placings, small numbers but nothing wasted. Tom Sherry rides from barrier 4.
Morosini is the most reliable of the rest, placing in half his four recent runs and in one of two visits here, with Boudvillain aboard. Rapid Reigns is the stable runner worth a look given what Neasham and Archibald do at this track, and Mollie Fitzgerald is in the saddle, although his two runs so far have produced a fifth and a fourth.
Mr Tucci is $3.30 with Unibet. That is short for a maiden, so a modest win bet, with Morosini and Rapid Reigns underneath in the exacta.
Race 3: Nexus Developments Hcp (C1), 2:32PM, 2000m
The market has this as a two horse race between Ring Of Fire at $3.00 with Bet Right and Lord Wootton at $3.20 with Unibet, and the market is close to right. The question is which profile you trust over 2000m.
Ring Of Fire is the reliable one. He has run four times in the last 90 days and placed in all four, winning one, and he placed at his only Canberra start. Nick Heywood rides for Dryden and Snowden, a combination that has won two and placed in four of its six Canberra outings together, the most recent win coming on 9 October. At 59kg he carries the joint top weight, which is the only knock.
Lord Wootton is the unknown with upside. A lightly raced three year old from the Neasham and Archibald stable, he gets in with 55kg and Tom Sherry aboard. He has had two runs in the last 90 days, a third among them, and a staying trip should suit. Liyah’s Girl at $4.00 with Unibet has placed in three of five recent runs and won one, and she cannot be dismissed either.
Ring Of Fire to win. He is the safest horse on the day for multis. Box the top three in a trifecta if you want more action.
Race 4: Carbine Club Remembering TC Hcp, 3:06PM, 1000m
Keikoku has been to Canberra seven times. He has run first, second or third on all seven. You do not get a cleaner course profile than that at a provincial track, and the current form backs it up: two runs in the last 90 days, one win, one second. The 1000m trip is exactly what he wants, and Claire Ramsbotham rides for Luke Pepper from barrier 7 in a field of only eight.
The weight is the one thing to think about. Keikoku carries 61kg, and Teylu has 61.5kg, so the two senior horses are giving the rest of the field a chunk. Over a sprint that is less of a factor than it would be at a mile, and in a small field he should get a cover.
The danger comes from his own stable. Iowna Benz won at her only Canberra start, gets in with just 55kg and has Mollie Fitzgerald aboard. That is a horse with a winning course run and a rider who places on almost everything here. Action King has a win and two placings from three recent runs and is the other threat.
No market was open for this race at the time of writing. Keikoku is the NAP. Win bet, and he goes in every multi as a place anchor.
Race 5: Stacey Bright (Bm60), 3:43PM, 1000m
Two horses come here in winning form, and the tempo decides between them. Thorsten has had two runs in the last 90 days and won one, placing in both. Star Empire has placed in all three of his recent runs and won one, but carries the 61.5kg top weight from barrier 10.
That weight and draw combination is enough to swing it to Thorsten, who gets in at 61kg from barrier 6 with Molly Bourke. Matthew Smith trains, and his Canberra record is strong for the sample: 4 wins and 9 placings from 15 runners. Neither horse has run here before, so this is a pure form read.
Royal Memory deserves a mention as the consistent type who placed at a single Canberra start. She is a place chance at best.
Win bet on Thorsten. Star Empire is the saver if you want cover.
Race 6: Rsm Mdn Hcp, 4:23PM, 1200m
Hard to have a confident view in a maiden full of lightly raced three year olds. Machrihanish is the pick on the evidence available. He has placed in two of three runs in the last 90 days, he placed at his only Canberra start, and he drops in with 54kg from barrier 2. That draw and weight let Dale Cole ride him handy and save ground.
Legsliketwiggy ran second last start, her only run in the last 90 days, and is the one that could improve past him. Real Magical, the Bjorn Baker first starter, is the unknown.
Each way on Machrihanish. This is a race to keep stakes small.
Race 7: Tab Federal Tony Campbell Memorial Cup, 5:03PM, 1600m
The cup is a contrast between two horses who keep running well without winning. Stormbringer has run five times in the last 90 days and placed in four of them. Brutal Eyes has run four times and placed in three. Neither has won in that stretch, and that is exactly why this race looks like an each way puzzle rather than a win bet.
Stormbringer gets the nod. Matthew Dale has had 12 Canberra runners for 3 wins and 6 placings, Tom Sherry rides, and 55kg from barrier 8 is fair for a mile. He has not raced at Canberra before, but his place strike rate this preparation is the best in the race.
Brutal Eyes is the main danger, also on 55kg and drawn 9. Acheson is the one with a winning Canberra run, a win and a place from two visits, and he brings the Dryden and Snowden stable into it. Mighty Myrtle, from the same yard, drawn 1, has placed in two of five recent runs. Super Helpful carries 63.5kg, which is a lot to ask over 1600m.
Each way on Stormbringer. Throw Brutal Eyes and Acheson into a trifecta.
Race 8: Enlighten Homes Plate (C2), 5:43PM, 1400m
Rule Of Faith comes into the last off a win. He has had two runs in the last 90 days for that win and an unplaced effort, and he placed at his only Canberra start. Claire Ramsbotham rides from barrier 8. Barry Wall trains.
The danger is Famoso. He has not won in his last six runs but has placed in four of them, and Rob Potter turns two thirds of his Canberra runners into placegetters, 10 placings from 13 starters. Damon Budler rides, and he hits the frame with nearly half his rides here. If Rule Of Faith does not back up, Famoso is the one most likely to be there.
Win bet on Rule Of Faith. Famoso for the place.
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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: Keikoku (Race 4, 3:06PM). Seven Canberra starts and seven top three finishes, with a win and a second in his latest two. Few horses anywhere carry a course record this tidy into a short field.
Value: Showtime Maggie (Race 1, 1:22PM). The only proven Canberra winner in the opener with two wins here, and $3.90 with Unibet underrates that.
Banker: Ring Of Fire (Race 3, 2:32PM). Placed in all four recent runs and partnered by Nick Heywood, who has won twice for the stable here. Fine for multis at $3.00 with Bet Right.
Each-way: Stormbringer (Race 7, 5:03PM). Four placings from five recent runs is the best place profile in the cup.
Course angle: Mollie Fitzgerald has placed on eight of her nine Canberra rides, so Iowna Benz and Rapid Reigns are worth adding to exotics.
If Neasham and Archibald keep landing seven in ten of their Canberra runners in the frame, Lord Wootton will not be the last of their horses worth following here.
FAQ
What time does racing start at Canberra today?
Race 1, the Rumore Family Benchmark 50 over 1200m, jumps at 1:22PM local time. The last, the Class 2 over 1400m, is at 5:43PM.
Who are the top trainers and jockeys at Canberra?
K Dryden and L Snowden have saddled 8 winners from 43 Canberra runners and have eight on today’s card. Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald have 5 wins and 12 placings from 17. Pierre Boudvillain leads the jockeys on volume with 8 wins from 51 rides, while Mollie Fitzgerald has placed on eight of her nine.
What are the best bets at Canberra today?
Keikoku in Race 4 is the NAP after placing in all seven of his Canberra starts. Ring Of Fire in Race 3 is the banker, and Showtime Maggie in Race 1 is the value play.
Where can I find the best odds for Canberra races?
Compare the bookmakers listed above. At the time of writing, Showtime Maggie was $3.90 with Unibet and Ring Of Fire $3.00 with Bet Right, while markets for Races 4 to 8 had not yet opened.