Overview
Antalian has been to Ballarat three times, won twice and placed on every visit, and on Wednesday night the mare gets another go at the track in the Sportsbet Jockey Watch (Bm62) at 7:00PM. She has drawn the widest gate, which is the only real knock on her form.
This is a twilight card: eight races on a turf track rated Good to Soft, from a 1400m maiden at 3:40PM to a 1200m Bm62 at 7:30PM. These Ballarat racing tips cover every race, with a stable that wins a sixth of its runs at this track, a Blake Shinn booking for A & S Freedman that has won three of its seven rides together, and an each-way runner in the opener who has hit the frame in all four of its runs over the last three months. No bookmaker had priced the meeting when this was written, so there are no odds quoted below.
Ballarat: the setup
The going is Good to Soft and the races fall into two clusters: three races at 1400m and a pair of 1200m sprints where barriers will matter. Course form is thin across today’s fields. Only four runners have been to Ballarat three or more times, and El Salto accounts for most of that experience on his own.
| Horse | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Salto | 12 | 1 | 4 | 8.3 | 33.3 |
| Antalian | 3 | 2 | 3 | 66.7 | 100.0 |
| Sacramental | 3 | 1 | 1 | 33.3 | 33.3 |
| Dame I Am | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 33.3 |
The riders tell a clearer story. W Egan has won nine of his 37 Ballarat rides and placed on more than half of them, which is the best strike among the regulars.
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W Egan | 37 | 9 | 21 | 24.3 | 56.8 |
| Jordan Childs | 16 | 5 | 9 | 31.3 | 56.3 |
| L Currie | 32 | 5 | 16 | 15.6 | 50.0 |
| Damian Lane | 19 | 5 | 9 | 26.3 | 47.4 |
| B Rawiller | 48 | 7 | 20 | 14.6 | 41.7 |
| Jye Mcneil | 53 | 7 | 21 | 13.2 | 39.6 |
| Teodore Nugent | 86 | 12 | 30 | 14.0 | 34.9 |
| Declan Bates | 76 | 11 | 26 | 14.5 | 34.2 |
Among the stables, Ciaron Maher has the volume, and three runners left on the card.
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Dabernig | 30 | 7 | 17 | 23.3 | 56.7 |
| T & C Mcevoy | 59 | 15 | 32 | 25.4 | 54.2 |
| C Maher | 97 | 17 | 52 | 17.5 | 53.6 |
| Henry Dwyer | 41 | 4 | 20 | 9.8 | 48.8 |
| Symon Wilde | 21 | 5 | 9 | 23.8 | 42.9 |
| Mitchell Freedman | 28 | 6 | 12 | 21.4 | 42.9 |
| Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 83 | 12 | 32 | 14.5 | 38.6 |
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Ballarat race-by-race
Race 1: Power FM Mdn Plate, 3:40PM, 1400m
Royal Maximus is the one to beat. Chris Waller doesn’t send many to Ballarat, nine runners in total, but this gelding placed on his only visit here and his form line of 5-3-4-2 is heading the right way. Damian Lane rides, and the Lane and Waller partnership has won ten of 54 together across all tracks, mostly in better grade than this. From barrier 2 he can sit handy and wait.
Iron Stupa is the horse that keeps the result honest. He has run four times in the last three months and placed every time without winning, and his form reads 5-6-2-3-3-2. That makes him a weak win proposition and a strong place one. Goodness, third in her only run of the last three months for A & S Freedman, is the other danger now that Bogey Free has been scratched.
Win bet on Royal Maximus, and Iron Stupa each-way for those who want the safer ride.
Race 2: Evergreen Turf Hcp (C1), 4:15PM, 1000m
Does Lucifer’s Girl‘s debut win hold up in a field with some experience? It might, because she drops into this sprint with one of the lightest weights in the race and an apprentice in Shayleigh Ingelse. The filly won her only run, worth $9,900, and a 1000m Class 1 is a sensible next step.
The one I’d rather have, though, is Regina Dei Re. Her last two read 3-1, the win coming at Pakenham in April, and she returns from a break with Brad Rawiller, who has seven wins from 48 rides here. She draws barrier 2 for V L Malady and should get the run of the race just behind the leaders. Skjaldmo also won last start, first up from a spell, and can’t be dismissed.
Regina Dei Re to win, small saver on Lucifer’s Girl.
Race 3: Manhari (Bm64), 4:50PM, 1100m
Four horses in this race won their last start, and two have won at Ballarat. Harry Met Sally is the pick of them, even first up from a break since April. His last preparation read 3-4-1-2, he won his only start at this track, and Blake Shinn rides for M W Walker, whose small team has won two of nine here.
Strength Within is the danger. The filly won her only run of the last three months, a $30,250 race, and Tom Dabernig places with more than half his Ballarat runners. Southern Sway won her only start, and that came at this course, so she brings track form too. This is a deep race for the grade.
Harry Met Sally win, with Strength Within in the exacta.
Race 4: Hygain Edge (Bm66), 5:25PM, 1400m
A & S Freedman and Blake Shinn have teamed up seven times and won three, placing in four. That’s a small sample, but it’s a sharp one, and Ladhar is their runner here. The filly won two starts back, and her form of 6-1-4-1-7 shows a horse who wins when she is in the right grade. One win from three runs in the last 90 days is solid for a Bm66 type.
Centenary Florin is the steady opponent. Her four runs read 1-3-2-4, she draws wide in 8 for Shane Jackson and Declan Bates, and she has yet to run a bad race. Tauri won last start, one of her two runs in the last three months, and placed in her only Ballarat start, so the mare sits third on my list.
Ladhar is the banker of the night. Win bet, and the one to anchor multis on.
Race 5: Brandt – Emerging Stars Series Heat 7 Mdn Plate, 6:00PM, 1200m
Three scratchings, Fear The Impact, Piperine and Celestaria, have trimmed this to ten maidens, and the one with the most consistent profile has drawn the widest. Soundwave has run 3-2-4-2-3 and never been far away, though he hasn’t raced since July, and Brad Rawiller rides for E & D Browne. From barrier 11 he will need some luck to get across, but at 1200m there is time to find a spot.
Brilliant Bull Ant has placed in both of his Ballarat starts and three of eight overall in the last three months, which makes him the each-way option of the race. Of the unraced runners, Blackbelt is the one to watch: the Hawkes stable has Jordan Childs on, and he has won five of his 16 Ballarat rides. De Niro, for the Hayes team with Damian Lane, is the other first starter with a serious booking.
Soundwave win, Brilliant Bull Ant place.
Race 6: Hygain Edge (Bm66), 6:30PM, 1400m
Trebilco won last start and Patsy’s Star won three in a row not long ago, but their profiles differ. Trebilco ran once in the last three months and won a $30,000 race, and his form line of 2-7-4-1-8-1 shows a horse who bounces back. Luke Currie rides for the Hawkes stable from barrier 1, the best draw in the race.
Patsy’s Star strung together three wins before an 11th last time, and Neil Farley gets him from barrier 7. If he bounces back to that winning run, he is the danger. Empressive Enuff has placed in both Ballarat runs and twice in three outings recently, which puts the veteran on the each-way list. Ciaron Maher‘s two runners, Lunaman and Grifter, carry the trainer’s track record into the race: Grifter won one of three in the last 90 days with Shinn back on.
Trebilco to win from the inside gate.
Race 7: Sportsbet Jockey Watch (Bm62), 7:00PM, 1600m
Antalian is the horse of the meeting. The mare has been to Ballarat three times, won twice and run third on the other visit, over 1200m, 1400m and 1500m. Her last six read 3-1-1-1-8-3, and the 8th came away from home at Geelong. Back at the track that suits her best, she looks hard to beat. Michael Dee rides for N A Blackiston, who has three wins from 19 here.
The worry is barrier 12. At 1750m there is a run to the first turn, and Dee can either push forward or drop in and use the finish she has shown here before. I’d expect the second option.
Aubaine is the danger. He has placed in three of four recent runs, one of them a win, won his only Ballarat start, and jumps from barrier 1 with apprentice L J Meech‘s claim. Chris Waller‘s The Flying Popov, with Damian Lane, is the stable runner to respect; he hasn’t won since the first of his last six.
Win bet on Antalian. Saver on Aubaine.
Race 8: Ule Hoof Oil (Bm62), 7:30PM, 1200m
The last brings back the Freedman and Shinn combination with Deadly Force. Two starts for a fifth and a win, and the win came in his only run in the last three months, a $19,250 race. Barrier 11 is the issue again, and he carries top weight, but he has only been beaten once.
Onlooker won his only start at Ballarat but ran fifth on his last outing, so he is going the wrong way. Cherry Hills, a winner on debut for the Hayes stable before missing the frame last time, is the more interesting danger. El Salto has been around Ballarat 12 times for a win and four placings and won’t be far off them at a big weight advantage. Les Braves has placed in one of two recent starts and is a minor player.
Deadly Force win. A quaddie that starts with Soundwave in Race 5 and finishes here has some shape to it.
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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 7, 7:00PM). Two wins and a third from three trips to Ballarat; the wide gate is her only obstacle.
Value: Lucifer’s Girl (Race 2, 4:15PM). Unbeaten after one start, light in the weights and with an apprentice. If the market treats her as a debut fluke, there’s value.
Banker: Ladhar (Race 4, 5:25PM). The Freedman and Shinn booking has won three of seven together, and the filly won two starts back.
Each-way: Iron Stupa (Race 1, 3:40PM). Four runs in three months, four placings. He finds the frame even when he can’t find the line.
Course angle: Ciaron Maher has won 17 races from 97 runners at Ballarat and placed with more than half. Loyalty, Lunaman and Grifter go around for him after Bogey Free‘s scratching.
If Antalian wins again on Wednesday, she will be the Ballarat horse to follow every time she comes back.
Ballarat racing FAQ
What time does racing start at Ballarat on Wednesday?
The first race, the Power FM Mdn Plate over 1400m, starts at 3:40PM. The last, the Ule Hoof Oil (Bm62) over 1200m, is at 7:30PM.
Who are the leading jockeys and trainers at Ballarat?
W Egan has won nine of 37 Ballarat rides and placed on 21. Teodore Nugent has the most wins among today’s jockeys with 12 from 86 rides. Ciaron Maher leads the trainers with 17 wins from 97 runners, and T & C Mcevoy have won 15 from 59.
What are the best Ballarat bets today?
Antalian in Race 7 is the NAP, Ladhar in Race 4 is the banker, Lucifer’s Girl in Race 2 is the value and Iron Stupa in Race 1 is the each-way pick.
Where can I find the best Ballarat odds?
Check the bookmaker table above and each race’s racecard on RacingBase. No bookmaker had priced the Ballarat races when this was written, so check the racecards closer to the first race.
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