Overview
State Of Grace comes to Gundagai with a form line that finishes 1-1-1, and on Friday she drops into the Criterion Hotel Showcase Handicap with C Lever aboard for Todd Smith. She has been in the first three every time she has gone round over the past 90 days, and nothing else on this nine race card arrives with that kind of momentum.
That is the starting point for these Gundagai racing tips, but there is plenty more to work through. The card runs from 12:30PM to 5:20PM on a track rated Good, with three maidens early, a pair of Class 1 showcase handicaps, the Tuckerbox Handicap over 1094m and the Snake Gully Cup over 1531m as the feature. Fields are big, most of them north of a dozen, so barriers and riders matter more than usual. Bookmakers had markets up for the first four races when this was written; Races 5 to 9 were not yet priced, so odds are quoted only where they existed. Read on for a pick in every race, the course numbers that count, and where we would put the money.
Gundagai: the setup
Horse form at the track is thin. Most of today’s runners have had one or two starts here, and only Teresprit has been around Gundagai three times, for a win and two placings. The jockey and trainer numbers carry more weight, and one name stands out: B P Ward has won on four of his seven rides here.
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B P Ward | 7 | 4 | 5 | 57.1 | 71.4 |
| Q Krogh | 10 | 2 | 7 | 20.0 | 70.0 |
| Jean Van Overmeire | 6 | 1 | 3 | 16.7 | 50.0 |
| Carly Frater | 13 | 2 | 6 | 15.4 | 46.2 |
| B McDougall | 16 | 1 | 7 | 6.3 | 43.8 |
| Brodie Loy | 7 | 1 | 3 | 14.3 | 42.9 |
| Pierre Boudvillain | 11 | 2 | 4 | 18.2 | 36.4 |
| B Vale | 14 | 1 | 5 | 7.1 | 35.7 |
B McDougall has had more rides here than anyone engaged today and finds the frame often enough, but he has only one winner from 16 rides. Q Krogh is the more efficient option, placing seven times from ten.
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Dale | 4 | 1 | 3 | 25.0 | 75.0 |
| P Mcvicar | 3 | 1 | 2 | 33.3 | 66.7 |
| Darrell Burnet | 5 | 1 | 3 | 20.0 | 60.0 |
| W G Carroll | 6 | 2 | 3 | 33.3 | 50.0 |
| Shane Bloomfield | 6 | 1 | 3 | 16.7 | 50.0 |
| C D Widdison | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 50.0 |
| Michael Travers | 22 | 1 | 6 | 4.5 | 27.3 |
Michael Travers sends the most runners here by a distance, but one winner from 22 is a poor return. W G Carroll has two wins from six, which is a small sample, though it is the best strike rate among the trainers with real volume at the track.
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Gundagai racing tips, race by race
Race 1: Patriot Bloodstock Country Boosted Mdn Plate, 12:30PM, 1203m
The market has made up its mind early. State Secret is the $2.45 favourite with Unibet, and the case is reasonable rather than overwhelming. The form reads 2-4-6 across the last three, so the horse has drifted a little since a second, but trainer Matthew Dale has found the frame with three of his four Gundagai runners, and Nick Heywood won on one of his three rides here.
Masked Vision is the obvious danger at $3.20. Two thirds and a fourth across the latest starts show a horse that keeps turning up without quite finishing the job. Brodie Loy rides.
The price worth a look is O’hatasky at $13 with Ladbrokes. She has run twice in the past 90 days and placed both times, the latest a second, and barrier 2 under B McDougall gives her the run of the race. State Secret to win, with a small each-way saver on O’hatasky.
Race 2: Inglis Xtra Bonus Showcase Super Mdn Hcp, 1:00PM, 1290m
Essay is $1.75 with Bet Right, and that price is hard to square with what is on the page. Two starts, a seventh and a fifth. The inside draw helps and A J Calder knows the horse, but the market is betting on improvement rather than evidence.
Sweet Harry has more to show for less. One start, one second, and he gets in on a fair weight from barrier 3 with Brodie Loy aboard. At $3.40 with Unibet, he is the one with the proven run. Brucedale also ran second at his latest start and carries top weight; $15 makes him a reasonable exotics roughie. Sweet Harry to win.
Race 3: Inglis Xtra Bonus Showcase Super Mdn Hcp, 1:35PM, 1290m
Kinduku ran second on debut and the market has noticed, installing him as the $3.40 favourite with Bet Right. Pierre Boudvillain has won twice from 11 rides here and gets a handy draw in 4. Trainer Danielle Seib has only had one runner at Gundagai, but that one won.
Then there is The Major. He has run three times in the past 90 days for two placings, both seconds in his latest two starts, and he is $9.50 with Bet Right. Yes, he carries top weight, and that is the reason for the price, but a horse knocking on the door twice in a row should not be nearly three times the favourite’s odds. Josh Richards rides for R T Waters.
Kinduku is the pick on the numbers. The Major is the bet: each-way at the price.
Race 4: Helen Castles Scoop Sullivan Showcase Hcp (C1), 2:10PM, 1203m
Does a last-start winner beat a horse that was second at its latest start after a win before that? That is the question between Cool As Ted and Back Up Plan, and the answer leans to Cool As Ted.
Cool As Ted has been in the first three in all three runs over the past 90 days, and the form line closes 2-2-1. He drew barrier 3 and Brodie Loy rides for Scott Collings. Back Up Plan, the $4.40 favourite with Bet Right, is the obvious threat: a win and a second from two starts, B McDougall aboard, and a trainer in Darrell Burnet who has placed with three of his five runners here.
Stablemate Bold Conquer also has a strong recent record, placed in all three runs in the past 90 days, and at $7.50 with Unibet he is the forgotten one of the Collings pair. Cool As Ted to win at $5.75 with Bet Right, and box the two Collings runners with Back Up Plan in the trifecta.
Race 5: In Loving Memory Of Helen Haywood Showcase Hcp (C1), 2:45PM, 1531m
W G Carroll has two runners here, and the one to follow is Kenny’s Swans. The horse has finished in the first three in all three runs over the past 90 days, with the form reading 2-3-3 lately. That is not a winner’s profile yet, but it is the most dependable one in the race, which is exactly what you want for a multi.
Carroll has won with two of his six runners at Gundagai, and Brodie Loy rides. Barrier 13 means work to do in a big field, but the 1531m trip gives Loy time to find a spot.
Central Otago is the danger. He won at his latest start, his only run in 90 days, and carries less weight than the top two from barrier 2 with S Guymer aboard. Choc Chip is the other with a recent win, and she placed on her only start here. No market was up for this race when this was written. Kenny’s Swans as a place banker in multis, Central Otago for the win saver.
Race 6: Criterion Hotel Showcase Hcp (C3), 3:20PM, 1290m
Three wins in a row, and State Of Grace still gets in on the minimum weight. That is the whole case, and it is a strong one.
She has finished in the first three every time she has run over the past 90 days, and the form line closes with three straight wins. The step up to Class 3 is the question to answer, but rising in grade is normal for a horse on this kind of streak, and the handicapper has not caught up with her. C Lever has a rider’s dream draw in barrier 6, and with Bengal and Harry The Thief carrying big weights, the race should suit a lightweight who can sit handy and kick.
Harry The Thief is the danger on form. He has won one of his two starts in the past 90 days, and Jean Van Overmeire has placed on half of those six rides here. But giving State Of Grace a big chunk of weight is a lot to ask.
Keep an eye on Teresprit too. He is the only runner on the card with three Gundagai starts, for a win and two placings, and he gets Pierre Boudvillain from barrier 1. On course form alone he belongs in the exotics. Lujaego, placed in three of four runs in the past 90 days, is another for the trifecta.
State Of Grace is the NAP of the day. Win bet, and use her as the first leg of the quaddie.
Race 7: Bellette’s Bins The Tuckerbox Hcp, 4:00PM, 1094m
A sprint handicap with a messy look about it. Two last-start winners, Action King and Castlebar Road, had no rider listed on the card at the time of writing, so treat them with caution until the jockeys are confirmed.
Before The War is the pick among those with confirmed rides. He ran third on his only start in the past 90 days, and his form includes three wins in the last five. B McDougall rides from barrier 16, which is the catch. Narcissist won one of her two starts in the 90 day window and draws better, in 5. Hard to have a confident view here. Small win bet on Before The War, otherwise a watch race.
Race 8: Big Dance Eligibility Snake Gully Cup, 4:40PM, 1531m
The Snake Gully Cup is a race with something at stake beyond the prize money, and that brings a better field than most country cups. Two profiles stand out, and they are very different.
Komodo Dragon is the consistent one. Four runs in the past 90 days, four placings, one of them a win. The form line ends 2-1-4-3, so he has kept turning up even after the win. John O’Shea and Tom Charlton are a big stable to be sending a runner to Gundagai, and C Lever, who also rides the NAP in Race 6, takes the ride from barrier 13.
I’ve Bean Tryin’ is the in-and-out one. Two wins from three starts in the past 90 days and more than $68,000 in prize money in that time, but the latest run was unplaced. If that was a one-off, he is the most talented horse in the race. Trainer Matthew Kelley has won with one of his three runners here and placed with two. MS C Keatings rides.
Vermicella is the third angle. Q Krogh places on seven of his ten rides here, and the horse drew barrier 4. Alabama State has won over $80,000 in the past 90 days, which says the class is there even if the form line is patchy.
Komodo Dragon each-way. He is the horse you can trust to be there at the finish, and in a field this deep that matters more than raw talent. I’ve Bean Tryin’ is the win danger.
Race 9: It’s Tab Time Country Magic Showcase (Bm58), 5:20PM, 1531m
Doubtfree and Navajo Code arrive in the same shape: each has won two of three starts in the past 90 days. Doubtfree‘s form ends 6-1-1, Navajo Code‘s 1-1-4, so the edge goes to the horse still on a winning run. B McDougall rides Doubtfree for D Scott, and the wide gate in 16 is the only concern.
Navajo Code has the better draw in 5 and was beaten at his latest start, which could just as easily be a blip. Claire Ramsbotham rides.
Sundrop is the one for the course angle. She has been to Gundagai twice, won once and placed in the other, and B P Ward rides. Ward and trainer Shane Bloomfield have combined here three times for a win and two placings. Doubtfree to win, with Sundrop each-way as the roughie.
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Where the money goes
NAP: State Of Grace (Race 6, 3:20PM). Three wins on the trot and still carrying the minimum. The rise in class is real, but so is the momentum.
Value: The Major (Race 3, 1:35PM). Two seconds in a row and $9.50 with Bet Right. The top weight explains some of the price, not all of it.
Banker: Kenny’s Swans (Race 5, 2:45PM). Placed in every run over the past 90 days, with a stable that wins with a third of its Gundagai runners. Use it in place multis.
Each-way: Komodo Dragon (Race 8, 4:40PM). Four placings from four runs in the past 90 days. In a deep Snake Gully Cup, that reliability is worth backing for the frame.
Course angle: B P Ward. Four winners from seven rides at Gundagai, and he gets one ride today, Sundrop in the last. Worth a small win bet on that record alone.
If Ward keeps converting at this rate here, his Gundagai bookings will be the first thing to check on every card at the track.
Gundagai racing FAQ
What time does racing start at Gundagai today?
Race 1, the Patriot Bloodstock Country Boosted Maiden Plate over 1203m, jumps at 12:30PM. The last, the It’s Tab Time Country Magic Showcase over 1531m, is at 5:20PM.
Who are the top jockeys and trainers at Gundagai?
B P Ward has four wins from seven rides here, and Q Krogh has placed seven times from ten. Among trainers, W G Carroll has two wins from six runners and Matthew Dale has placed with three of his four.
What are the best bets at Gundagai today?
State Of Grace in Race 6 is the NAP, on a three race winning streak. The Major in Race 3 is the value play at $9.50, and Kenny’s Swans in Race 5 is the banker for multis.
Where can I find the best odds for Gundagai races?
Compare the bookmakers in our list above. Prices for Races 1 to 4 were up when this was written, with State Secret at $2.45 and Essay at $1.75 the shortest favourites. Races 5 to 9 had not opened.