Ballarat Preview & Best Bets – 16/04/2024

Adam Cusworth

in Ballarat 15 Apr 2024

Our form expert provides tips for today’s Ballarat horse racing at Ballarat Racecourse and gives his best bets.

Ballarat Tips 16/04/2024

BEST BET 🏆

Race 3 No. 8 NAKOA- ($1.85)

NAKOA should be hard to beat in Race 3. The Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained has had the two career starts for a 5th in a strong form race on debut at Sandown behind Quickster before heading to Pakenham and filling the exacta behind Zombie Missile over the 1400m. She settled handy in a race that developed into a sit sprint but could not catch the leader. The daughter of War Front should appreciate the step to the 1600m and draws perfectly in barrier 4 with Blake Shinn to ride.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 1 No.3 UNIVERSAL HARMONY- ($4.40)

I’m prepared to take on the favourite in this race, Vanishing, at her first start and it is UNIVERSAL HARMONY from the Team Hayes camp that might be the play. He has placed in his two runs at Ballarat and didn’t quite get the Heavy track at Geelong at his most recent start when 5th as a $1.80 favourite. But his run prior to that over the 1200m was solid when doing all the work in front before going down in the last 50m behind Simplicity, putting a gap on the rest. The son of Brave Smash has the benefit of race experience and has been a slight firmer in the early betting.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 6 No. 3 MAMBO DANCER- ($4.85)

MAMBO DANCER is a solid prospect in Race 6. She drops sharply in grade after a first up effort that saw her place 5th at Sandown over the 1200m in a BenchMark 70 on March 27. The four-year-old settled back in that race and her cause wasn’t helped by the lack of early speed but she made some late ground to run 5th. At her previous second up run she was a notable improver on benchmark figures, while the Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman mare was a winner the last time she raced in this grade. Emily Pozmon rides and claims the 3kg. She is three from 10 for the stable, providing an 80% profit on turnover for punters.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 7 No. 2 WHAKAMANA- ($3.60)

Some handy gallopers line up in a BenchMark 64 and WHAKAMANA can go a couple of spots better than a last start effort that saw her place 3rd in the recent $150,000 Country Oaks (1950m) at Yarra Valley. The Busuttin/Young galloper settled just worse than midfield in the Good Friday race and produced the fastest 400m-200m split before the lack of early tempo counted against. A firmer in the early betting, this looks easier and she draws perfectly in barrier 4 with John Allen to ride.

BEST VALUE 💰

Race 9 No. 16 EUPHORIC – ($7)

Keen on EUPHORIC in the Golden Mile. The Greg Eurell-trained galloper resumed at Flemington on March 30 and settled back in the field of 16 before producing the fastest last 200m to place 5th. The four-year-old went 9.5 lengths faster than standard benchmark, which is the second best last start figure of any runner in this race. Second up at his last preparation, the son of Sebring improved 7.5 lengths on figures when going from a Ballarat win to a narrow runner-up at Flemington. He is likely to get back but should enjoy a nice cart into the race and can run over the top of them late.