Hawkesbury Racing Tips 14 April — can Berry boss the sprints?
Ballina Racing Tips 14 April 2026 — can Dunn run the card?
Ballina’s clearest angle today: follow the stable that keeps landing in the money
M J Dunn turns up to Ballina with a proper hand on Tuesday, and it’s not subtle. Two runners in the BM82 (including a last-start winner), plus the 13:45 and 14:25 races where the map and the jockey bookings scream intent. When a stable consistently gets runners to the right race on the right day, you don’t fight it, you price it.
There are four races on turf, with three sharp 1110m sprints and one 1755m event that reads like the best betting race on the program because the form has shape, not just names. Below are my Ballina racing tips with a firm view on where the money goes, plus the one race I’m happy to watch rather than pretend it’s solvable.
Ballina — the setup
It’s a sprint-heavy meeting. Three races at 1110m means barriers and early intent matter more than usual. If you’re caught wide and you hesitate, you can lose the race before the corner. Conversely, if you draw soft and you can hold a spot, Ballina can feel like it rewards common sense.
Limited course form across today’s fields. Most runners have one or two starts here, so I’m treating those as notes rather than making big claims off them.
Jockeys with genuine Ballina sample sizes (5+ rides):
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Bayliss | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20.00 | 80.00 |
| D Peisley | 9 | 2 | 6 | 22.22 | 66.67 |
| L P Rolls | 13 | 0 | 7 | 0.00 | 53.85 |
| B Looker | 13 | 3 | 6 | 23.08 | 46.15 |
| A Mallyon | 12 | 3 | 5 | 25.00 | 41.67 |
| Noriyuki Masuda | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 12.50 |
Trainers with genuine Ballina volume (5+ runners):
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M J Dunn | 16 | 4 | 11 | 25.00 | 68.75 |
| S B Lee | 14 | 2 | 5 | 14.29 | 35.71 |
| Allan Chau | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | 22.22 |
| Shane Everson | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | 25.00 |
Ladbrokes Review [Updated March 2026] | Ladbrokes.com.au Pros & Cons
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Race-by-race
Race 1: Hartleys Fresh Market Ballina Fair Mdn Plate — 13:45, 1110
Miss Wildcat looks like the mare everyone else has to run down. The form line reads like a horse that’s worked out how to race without quite getting the job done yet: 37232. That’s not a flash-in-the-pan trial hero, it’s repeatable competitiveness. From gate 4 she maps to land in the first half without doing anything silly, which matters in these short Ballina sprints.
The race has a few who can improve, but a lot of them are guessing games. Aerial Artist (87-) and Pick Of The Bunch (73) might be better than their bare numbers once they learn, and Commedia (724-54) is honest, drawn to get the economical run from gate 1. But Miss Wildcat has been living in the finish, and that’s the trait I want in a maiden at this trip.
The danger is Commedia purely because that inside draw gives D Peisley options. If the leaders overdo it even a touch, the rail run can decide the race quickly.
Staking: Win bet Miss Wildcat. Small saver quinella with Commedia if you want insurance against the inside run.
Race 2: Lennox Hotel Country Boosted Hcp (C1) — 14:25, 1110
Does the weight stop him, or does the class edge win anyway? Too Hot To Torque cops 130.0, and that’s the whole conversation. The upside is he’s a progressive 3yo with a neat profile (41-) and A Mallyon is the one jockey on this card you can trust to make the heavy weight look less heavy. Mallyon wins a quarter of his Ballina rides across 12 mounts, so when he turns up here, it’s usually for a reason.
Still, this isn’t a race where I want to take short odds about a big weight from gate 8 if he’s asked to work early. The horse that keeps the price honest is Dance Gavin Dance (351), drawn gate 3 to get every possible favour, and he’s already shown he handles Ballina: he’s placed in both starts here, including one win from those two visits. D Peisley rides Ballina like he owns the joint and hits the frame two-thirds of the time here (9 rides, 6 placings), so the map plus the pilot gives you a clear alternative.
The other name I’m not dropping is Permission Denied (77-1). Lightly raced and down in the weights (116.8) with gate 9, so it’s a ride-for-luck setup, but the upside is obvious if she lands on them at the right time.
Staking: Back Dance Gavin Dance to win. Save on Too Hot To Torque if the market drifts to a backable price.
Race 3: Douse Fire Protection (Bm82) — 15:05, 1755
This is the race with the most substance. I’m sticking with Resurrected as the bet because he’s in form (7-4921), he stays, and he lands in the hands of a stable that simply places horses well at Ballina. Dunn strikes at 25 percent here from 16 runners and, more importantly, he cashes a place cheque with well over half of them. That’s a meeting angle you can lean on.
Resurrected has only had one start at Ballina and won, so I’m not calling him a track horse off that, but it’s a tick. The query is the gate (8). At this trip you can survive it, but you don’t want to be snagged right out of your ground and asked to circle the field.
The horse that can beat him is Do It For You (86-112) from gate 2. He’s drawn to stalk and punch, and he’s placed on his only Ballina run. If he gets the first crack while Resurrected is still building momentum, you’ll feel it.
For wider exotics, Pressalong (7-3214) is the grinder who can run into the minors if the tempo is right, and Archers Reign from gate 1 can improve simply by not conceding track position early.
Staking: Win bet Resurrected. Exacta saver Resurrected and Do It For You. This is the best betting race on the card.
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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
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Race 4: Paradise FM (Bm58) — 15:40, 1110
The market will want to find the last-start winner and pile in, and it might be right. Geegee Jet By comes off a win (3058-1) and carries 134.4, but he draws gate 4 to land on speed without burning. G Spokes also has a respectable Ballina record with five rides and three placings, and that sort of steadiness matters in these dash races.
My problem is that this BM58 has a couple of profiles I’d rather back than follow. Prestige Pak (32161-) is the progressive 3yo in the race, and Jordan Lee is a trainer worth respecting here: he’s 1 win and 2 placings from 4 Ballina runners. That’s not huge volume, but it’s enough to say he doesn’t come here for a day out. Barrier 3 gives O A Dalton a simple job: hold a spot, peel at the right time, and let the younger legs do the rest.
The danger is Critical Time (6637-3) because gate 2 and B Looker can turn this into a tactical affair. Looker rides Ballina often, wins at a solid clip, and if he controls the rail run into the bend, he can steal lengths while others are trapped wide.
Dusan draws 10 and needs everything to go right, while Back On de Quo (2116-5) is honest but didn’t fire here on his only Ballina start.
Staking: Win bet Prestige Pak. Small saver Geegee Jet By if the odds are fair because the map suits.
Where the money goes
NAP: Resurrected (Race 3, 15:05). Dunn’s Ballina record stands up over 16 runners, and the horse arrives off a win with enough tactical versatility to cope with the 1755m.
Value: Dance Gavin Dance (Race 2, 14:25). He’s already placed in both Ballina runs and gets the gate (3) and rider (Peisley) combo that keeps you out of trouble. If the market fixates on Too Hot To Torque’s upside despite the 130.0, you’ll get overs.
Banker for multis: Miss Wildcat (Race 1, 13:45) as a place anchor. That 37232 profile is the definition of reliable in a maiden.
Each-way angle: Prestige Pak (Race 4, 15:40). Progressive 3yo, soft draw, and the right sort of race to keep improving.
Course angle to keep: When Dunn brings runners to Ballina, they don’t just show up, they feature. Keep treating the stable as a default shortlist here until the results say otherwise.
FAQ
What time does racing start at Ballina today?
Ballina kicks off at 13:45 with the Hartleys Fresh Market Ballina Fair Maiden Plate over 1110m.
Who are the top jockeys and trainers at Ballina on today’s card?
On proven Ballina volume, A Mallyon (12 rides) and B Looker (13 rides) both ride winners here regularly, while D Peisley hits the frame often at the track with 6 placings from 9 rides. For trainers, M J Dunn has the strongest course record in today’s data set with 16 runners for 4 wins and 11 placings.
What are the best bets at Ballina today?
I’m building the day around Resurrected in Race 3 (15:05) as the main win play. The other two I want onside are Miss Wildcat (Race 1, consistent 37232 profile) and Dance Gavin Dance (Race 2, placed in both Ballina visits and perfectly drawn in 3).
Where can I find the best Ballina odds?
The quickest way is to compare prices bookmaker-to-bookmaker before you bet. If you’re shopping around, start with your usual bookies and check the fluctuations close to jump time, especially in the sprints where barriers and late speed maps can move markets. For more racing coverage, head to RacingBase for Ballina racing tips, Ballina predictions, and updated Ballina odds.
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