Overview
Airhawk has won the last two starts and arrives at Casino for the Class 2 finale with the best recent record of anyone on the card. That’s the question hanging over Thursday’s meeting: can Airhawk make it three, or does Sunset Trail, a last-start winner in its own right, turn the tables from a kinder draw?
Seven races make up the card, all on a Soft track, from a 1900m Benchmark 58 down to a pair of 1000m sprints. Maidens fill three of the first four races, so the early part of the program leans on lightly raced horses and market moves, while the back half carries the genuine form. Our Casino racing tips work through every race, flag where the bookmakers have it right and where they don’t, and finish with the bets we would actually place. Three of the stables to follow are Stephen and Jordan Lee, M J Dunn and Ethan Ensby, who between them have runners in every race.
Casino: the setup
Limited course form across today’s fields. No horse on the card has more than two starts at Casino, so the track numbers that matter belong to the riders and stables.
Jockeys at Casino (5+ rides)
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B Looker | 14 | 1 | 6 | 7.1 | 42.9 |
| Yvette Lewis | 12 | 0 | 4 | 0.0 | 33.3 |
| Violet Soulsby | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 20.0 |
Trainers at Casino (3+ runners)
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen & Jordan Lee | 15 | 2 | 8 | 13.3 | 53.3 |
| Ruby Chatterton | 4 | 1 | 2 | 25.0 | 50.0 |
| M J Dunn | 4 | 1 | 2 | 25.0 | 50.0 |
| Ethan Ensby | 6 | 1 | 2 | 16.7 | 33.3 |
| Samantha Mcguren | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 33.3 |
| L J Clapham | 8 | 1 | 2 | 12.5 | 25.0 |
The Lee stable is the one to respect. Fifteen runners here, two winners and eight placegetters, which means more than half of what they bring to Casino finishes in the first three. Siabh Rigley has ridden four of those and placed on three. B Looker has the most rides at the track of anyone booked today and hits the frame roughly four times in ten.
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Casino racing tips: race by race
Race 1: Casino Beef Week Cup Fri 28th May 2027 (Bm58), 1:35PM, 1900m
Valouri has run second at each of the last two starts, and at $1.80 with Bet Right the market reckons this is where the run of near misses ends. It’s a fair read. Valouri has placed twice in four runs over the last 90 days, drops into a soft Benchmark 58, and A Mallyon rides for M J Dunn from barrier 3, which should allow a handy run without being pushed into the early speed.
The trouble is the price. There isn’t much room in $1.80 for a horse that has not won in the period, and the staying trip on a Soft track asks a different question of every runner. Mahuika Maroi is the one that interests us at the odds, with three times from five starts in the last 90 days for Ethan Ensby. $8.00 with Bet Right is generous for a horse that keeps finding the frame.
Valouri is the likeliest winner. The bet, though, is Mahuika Maroi each-way.
Race 2: Tweedriverjockeyclub.Com.Au Mdn Plate, 2:10PM, 1400m
Only five go around after three scratchings, and one of them has already shown enough to win a race like this. Worthy Stunnah ran second and then third at the last two starts, the only two runs in the past 90 days, and steps out at $1.90 with Bet Right for Michael Morrison. The rider had not been confirmed when we wrote this, which is worth checking before you play.
Worththeadmission is the obvious danger at $3.30. Courtney Bellamy rides for Chris and Corey Munce and the form line of 4th, 8th, 5th shows a horse that has been competitive without threatening to win. Anderlyn, from the Lee yard, needs more than the form shows so far.
Worthy Stunnah is the banker for multis. Win bet, no saver needed.
Race 3: Murwillumbah Racing Big Dance Day Mdn Hcp, 2:45PM, 1200m
Does Private Max have the race at his mercy, or has the market just leaned on the stable? Probably a bit of both. Private Max ran second at the most recent start, the only outing in the last 90 days, and A Mallyon stays loyal to the Dunn stable again. At $2.45 with Unibet, Private Max looks the right favourite in a maiden handicap where most of the field has a lot to find.
Tramca is the horse to have on side if the favourite goes wrong. Two placings from three runs in the last 90 days, a third last time out, and Benjamin Osmond rides for the Munce stable from barrier 2. At $6.00 with Unibet, Tramca is the logical exacta partner. Raising Suspicion is shorter at $3.80 with Bet Right but finished eighth at the latest start, which makes that price hard to accept.
Back Private Max to win with a Private Max and Tramca exacta as the saver.
Race 4: Vo Rogue Garden Party @ Murbah Melb Cup Day Country Boosted Mdn Plate, 3:25PM, 1000m
Ten runners, and six have never raced. That makes this a race for the market and the stables rather than the form guide. The Lee team sends three, Prestige Reign, Prestige Sotirio and Prestige Special, and the money has found Prestige Sotirio at $3.70 with Unibet despite no rider being named yet. Prestige Special gets Siabh Rigley and a light weight, and $5.50 with Bet Right is the more interesting of the trio given how that partnership goes at this track.
Parting The Seas has the most racing experience of the fancied runners, with fourth at the latest start, but nothing in that record says it is ready to win. Sunny Side Street at $5.00 with Unibet is another debutant the market respects.
Hard to have a confident view. Watch race, or a small saver on Prestige Special if you must be involved.
Race 5: Murwillumbah Racing Melb Cup Day (Bm66), 4:05PM, 1200m
M J Dunn had four in this race before Tophet came out, and A Mallyon‘s choice among the remaining three is Discreet Point. We think one of the others is the better horse. Trinity State has had just two starts, won the first and ran second in the next, and has the best profile in the field. The catch is that a rider has not been named yet, so keep an eye on the booking before you bet.
Whiskey Miss is the danger and the each-way play. Whiskey Miss won at the only Casino start, has a win and two placings from four runs in the last 90 days, and Jasper Franklin rides for Ethan Ensby. The seventh last time out was below par, but a return to this track should suit. Vendemmia, with a win and three placings from five starts in the same period, is the other one to include for Ensby and B Looker.
No market was open when we wrote this. Trinity State to win, Whiskey Miss each-way.
Race 6: X-Mas Cup Lismore Fri 18th Dec Country Boosted (Bm58), 4:40PM, 1000m
Brief Authority won at the latest start, the only run in the past 90 days, so arrives fresh and in form. A Mallyon picks up another Dunn ride, and a two-run record of fourth and then a win suggests a horse still on the way up. Barrier 10 is the worry over 1000m, because there is no time to make up ground lost on the turn.
Copenhagen Cat is the one to beat. Second at the only previous Casino start, Siabh Rigley rides for the Lee stable, and the lightest weight in the race. Amaya’s Secret has run second at four of the last five, but without a rider confirmed and carrying topweight looks a better place bet than a win chance.
Back Brief Authority to win with a saver on Copenhagen Cat.
Race 7: Ballina Boxing Day Races Plate (C2), 5:15PM, 1400m
This is the race of the day, and the best two horses on the card meet in it. Airhawk has won the last two starts and has two wins and three placings from four runs in the past 90 days. B Looker rides for Ethan Ensby, and that partnership has four wins and ten placings from 21 rides together across their circuit. Airhawk‘s only real problem is barrier 10, so Looker will need to find cover early or work forward from the gate.
Sunset Trail is the danger, a winner at the latest start after a second the run before, and has the identical 90 day record to Airhawk: two wins and three placings from four. L P Rolls rides for the Lee stable from barrier 8, so there is no draw edge over the selection either. Lennystar won the only start in the period and Doingiteasy has placed at all three, so this race has real depth.
We side with Airhawk for stringing the wins together. Win bet, with Sunset Trail as the exacta saver. If you want a bigger price, Doingiteasy is the each-way option.
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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: Airhawk (Race 7, 5:15PM). Two wins in a row, and a rider whose partnership with this stable has four wins from 21. The wide gate is the only obstacle, and in this form that is a risk worth taking.
Value: Mahuika Maroi (Race 1, 1:35PM). $8.00 with Bet Right for a horse that has run in the first three at three of the last five starts. The favourite’s short price leaves the each-way odds on Mahuika Maroi fatter than they should be.
Banker: Worthy Stunnah (Race 2, 2:10PM). Second and then third in the only two recent runs, and meets four rivals with less to recommend them. $1.90 with Bet Right.
Each-way: Whiskey Miss (Race 5, 4:05PM). A previous winner on this track, and a return to Casino is the reason to forgive one below-par run.
Course angle: Stephen and Jordan Lee runners place more than half the time at Casino, and Siabh Rigley has been in the first three on three of four rides for them here. Copenhagen Cat in Race 6 fits that pattern.
If Airhawk wins this the way the last two have gone, that will be the standard for every Class 2 on the Northern Rivers circuit by Christmas.
FAQ
What time does racing start at Casino today?
Race 1, the 1900m Benchmark 58, jumps at 1:35PM local time. The last, a 1400m Class 2, is set down for 5:15PM.
Who are the top trainers and jockeys at Casino?
Stephen and Jordan Lee have the most runners at the track of anyone on today’s card, with two wins and eight placings from 15. B Looker leads the riders with 14 Casino rides for a win and six placings.
What are the best bets at Casino today?
Airhawk in Race 7 is our best bet after two straight wins. Worthy Stunnah in Race 2 is the banker, and Mahuika Maroi in Race 1 is the value play at $8.00.
Where can I find the best odds for Casino races?
Bet Right and Unibet were pricing the early races when we wrote this, with Valouri at $1.80 and Worthy Stunnah at $1.90, both with Bet Right. Races 5 to 7 had no market open yet, so check the racecards closer to the jump.