Overview
Do It For You has been to Ballina three times and placed every time, winning twice. On a Heavy track on Monday, with most of the field lacking any course form, that record is worth a lot, and it makes the Race 3 BM82 the race to build the day around. That is the centrepiece of these Ballina racing tips.
Ballina has six races on turf rated Heavy, from 2:25PM to 5:30PM. Bookmakers had the first two races priced when this was written, and the rest were still waiting on a market and, in a few cases, on riders. On a wet track, we have leaned on proven Ballina form and on M J Dunn, whose stable dominates the trainer numbers here. Below are the course stats worth knowing, a view on each race, and our plays.
What Ballina gives us today
Limited course form across today’s fields: only Do It For You and Arabian Legacy have three Ballina starts, and Arabian Legacy has not placed in any of them. The jockey and trainer numbers carry more weight.
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D L Turner | 16 | 6 | 9 | 38% | 56% |
| L P Rolls | 16 | 1 | 8 | 6% | 50% |
| D Peisley | 21 | 3 | 10 | 14% | 48% |
| A Mallyon | 22 | 4 | 10 | 18% | 45% |
| Zac Wadick | 5 | 1 | 2 | 20% | 40% |
| K H Zechner | 20 | 0 | 8 | 0% | 40% |
M J Dunn has ten winners from 44 Ballina runners and places with six in ten. Nobody else on the card comes close to that volume.
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M J Dunn | 44 | 10 | 27 | 23% | 61% |
| D Chujo | 5 | 1 | 3 | 20% | 60% |
| S J Bennett | 8 | 1 | 4 | 13% | 50% |
| D W Dwane | 7 | 1 | 3 | 14% | 43% |
| Stephen & Jordan Lee | 12 | 1 | 5 | 8% | 42% |
| Marcus Wilson | 10 | 2 | 4 | 20% | 40% |
Best Bookmakers for Today’s Racing
Ranked for today’s racing
Sponsored-
1
Dabble
Dabble is a mobile-first Australian betting app best suited to racing punters who want live streams, copy betting, social features and fast withdrawals.
Visit Dabble
-
2
Picklebet
Top 4 Betting - Extra Place, Every Race
Visit Picklebet
-
3
Ladbrokes
Watch Live Racing Streams and use the Racing Infohub.
Visit Ladbrokes
-
4
Bet Right
Excellent Choice for Racing, Sports and Esports Betting
Visit Bet Right
-
5
Neds
Place a Bet After the Jump on Thoroughbreds and Harness
Visit Neds
-
6
Colossalbet
Comprehensive Racing Options
Visit Colossalbet
18+ only. Advertising disclosure: we earn a commission from operators listed. Gambling Help 1800 858 858.
Ballina race by race
Race 1: Ballina Fair Country Boosted (Bm58), 2:25PM, 1094m
Brief Authority has had two starts for a fourth and then a win, and he steps out for M J Dunn with A Mallyon aboard. That stable wins nearly a quarter of its Ballina races, and $4.60 with Bet Right is a fair price for a last-start winner.
Amaya’s Secret is the danger. She draws barrier 1, placed at her only Ballina start and has been second in four of her last six. The trouble is that she rarely wins, and $3.30 with Unibet does not allow for that. Trinity State, also from the Dunn stable, won on debut and then ran second, and is $4.00 with Bet Right, but still had no rider listed at the time of writing.
Win bet on Brief Authority, with Amaya’s Secret for the exacta.
Race 2: Tab Stayers Cup (Bm58), 3:05PM, 2843m
The market has California Grass at $2.45 with Unibet, and the better value is his stablemate. Crunch Time won his last start and has a win and two placings from four runs in the last 90 days. Christos Zintilis has placed with all three of his Ballina runners. At $5.50 with Unibet, Crunch Time is the stable runner we want.
California Grass has drawn barrier 1 and gets D Peisley, but his last six runs have produced no win. Over 2843m on a Heavy track, a horse in winning form is worth more than a good gate. Nature Boy won at his only Ballina start and is $10.00 with Bet Right.
Crunch Time each-way. It is a long trip in the wet, and the place covers a lot of bad luck.
Race 3: Cnw Ballina (Bm82), 3:40PM, 1422m
Two wins and three placings from three Ballina starts. Do It For You has never missed the first three here, and on a Heavy track that history matters more than usual. Siabh Rigley rides for Stephen and Jordan Lee.
The horse’s recent form is patchier, with a fourth and a sixth at the last two starts, and that is the risk. Barello, from the same stable, is the main danger after a win and three placings from four recent runs. Swifties won one of five recent runs for M J Dunn and A Mallyon.
No prices were up when this was written. Win bet on Do It For You once the market opens.
Race 4: Ballina Cup On January 15 Mdn Hcp, 4:15PM, 1094m
A weak maiden with plenty of question marks. Bar Star ran second on debut and sixth next time. That second is still the best form in the race among the raced horses, and Bella Youngberry has placed on two of four Ballina rides.
Field Of Clans, from the M J Dunn stable, ran second at the last start and is the danger, but no rider was listed at the time of writing. The Stephen and Jordan Lee stable has several runners, including first starter Prestige Sotirio with L P Rolls. Those are the unknowns.
Hard to be confident. Small win bet on Bar Star, or treat it as a watching race.
Race 5: Boxing Day Races @ Ballina Mdn Plate, 4:50PM, 1531m
Checks’n’balances has run 3-7-2-7-2-5 and placed at both Ballina starts. K H Zechner rides, with eight placings from twenty Ballina rides but no winner yet.
The danger is The Minstrel Boy, who has run fifth, second and fifth in three starts for the Lee stable, but who had no rider listed when this was written. Qui Rouge has two placings from four recent runs and gets L P Rolls. Barrier 13 is a concern for Checks’n’balances, so the place is the safer bet.
No market yet. Each-way on Checks’n’balances.
Race 6: Ballina Rsl (Bm58), 5:30PM, 1367m
Bellarata against Calvary is the race. Bellarata has a win and three placings from four runs in the last 90 days, so she has been in the first three every time, and she gets A Mallyon for M J Dunn. Calvary has won twice from five recent starts but ran first, fourth, seventh, fifth and first, so the form is less reliable.
Clubhouse has D L Turner, who wins more than a third of rides here, and he placed at his only Ballina start. Toroness won last start and is the other one to note.
No prices at the time of writing. Bellarata to win, and she is our banker for multis.
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
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: Do It For You (Race 3, 3:40PM). Three Ballina starts, three placings, two wins. On a Heavy track, proven course form is the best guide available. Unpriced when this was written.
Value: Crunch Time (Race 2, 3:05PM). $5.50 with Unibet. A last-start winner over a staying trip for a stable that has placed with all three of its Ballina runners, and the market prefers the stablemate.
Banker: Bellarata (Race 6, 5:30PM). In the first three at all four recent starts, with the Dunn and Mallyon combination.
Each-way: Checks’n’balances (Race 5, 4:50PM). Placed at both Ballina starts in a weak maiden.
Course angle: M J Dunn. Ten winners from 44 Ballina runners and runners in four of today’s six races, including Brief Authority in Race 1 and Bellarata in Race 6.
If the rain stays around the Northern Rivers, horses with a Ballina record like Do It For You‘s will be the first ones to check every time the club races.
Ballina racing FAQ
What time does racing start at Ballina today?
Race 1, a BM58 over 1094m, jumps at 2:25PM. The last, a BM58 over 1367m, is at 5:30PM. The track is rated Heavy.
Who are the top trainers and jockeys at Ballina?
M J Dunn has ten winners and 27 placings from 44 runners at Ballina. D L Turner leads the riders with six wins from sixteen rides, and A Mallyon has four wins from 22.
What are the best bets at Ballina today?
Do It For You in Race 3 is the NAP after placing in all three Ballina starts. Bellarata in Race 6 is the banker, and Crunch Time in Race 2 is the value at $5.50.
Where can I find the best odds for Ballina races?
When this was written, Bet Right and Unibet had the best prices in Races 1 and 2. The later races had not been priced yet, so compare the bookmakers listed above before you bet.