Gosford Preview & Best Bets – 28/12/2023

Gosford Tips for Thursday, December 28

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

BEST BET 🏆

Race 1:  No.6  CONCELLO  ($2.50 with Ladbrokes)

The Chris Waller-trained CONCELLO made a big impression last start and having her third race start today, looks a main contender for the major prize. Last start, the Trapeze Artist filly came off an unplaced run over 1250m on debut at Canterbury and turned it all around when she clobbered them in a Hawkesbury Maiden over the 1600m trip. The extra distance seemed to do the trick that day as she came from mid-field to take control of the race and put a space on them in the process. Fitter for those two runs, Waller keeps her at the mile today as she is joined by Tyler Schiller for the first time. She maps to settle mid-field again (from gate six) and with a clear crack at them, she can go back-to-back today.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 4:  No.1  DIAMOND DIESEL  ($3.35 with BoomBet)

Locally-trained by Adam Duggan, DIAMOND DIESEL is second-up today and is yet to put in a bad performance. Last preparation, he missed a podium finish just once (finishing fourth) from his seven starts. He came off a five-month absence last start and made it look easy as he cleaned-up a BM72 Hcp over 1200m at Canterbury. From the outside gate, he settled near the rear and swinging wide on the turn, finished too strong for them, winning by a length on the line. Already a winner when second-up, he is yet to finish out of the money in three starts here as Zac Wadick steers the ship today. Drawn better today in gate six, he maps to settle near mid-field with cover and a clear run to the line should see him hard to hold out here.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 6:  No.6  ITA  ($8 with Neds)

To the feature race of the day and the Bjorn Baker-trained ITA is third-up today and wearing the blinkers again, she can give this field a real fright. Last start, the All Too Hard mare finished mid-field at Randwick in a 1600m event, but her efforts were better than that. Still last at the 300m mark, she had to come off heels for clean air and once she found it, the six-year-old motored home to be beaten just two lengths on the line. She is already a two-time winner when third-up and a three-time winner at the mile. Rachel King is the pilot today and although drawn out today, expect her to settle in the back half of the field. Baker scratched the mare from last Saturday’s Listed Bernborough Plate at Eagle Farm to take her place here and with a clear run to the line, watch for her bright colours finishing strongly again in this contest.