Sale Preview & Best Bets - Sunday February 5
Goulburn Preview & Best Bets – Sunday February 5
Goulburn Tips 05/02/2023
Our form expert provides Goulburn tips for today’s horse racing at Goulburn Racecourse and gives his best bets.
BEST BET 🏆
Race 1: No.2 KIMBERLEY SECRETS ($1.75 with Ladbrokes)
The Nick Olive-trained KIMBERLEY SECRETS resumed in great style and looks the testing material here. Last start, the Wandjina filly was fresh off a lengthy 34-week absence when she clobbered her rivals in a Class 1 Hcp over 1000m at Canberra. Putting two lengths on them, she ran a new personal best that day, covering the trip, 1.9 lengths slower than benchmark, still the best last-start effort here by more than 5 lengths. In a small field today, she maps to settle on speed with Brendan Ward retaining the ride. Scratched from the Canberra meeting on Friday to run here, she looks the goods in this contest.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 4: No.9 PINKY ($3.60 with Ladbrokes)
Annabel Neasham saddles-up PINKY here who looks much better placed today and is capable of taking out this event. Last start, the three-year-old filly took on city class company in a BM64 Hcp over 1550m at Canterbury where she was beaten out of a place on a Heavy 8 that day. Finishing fifth (just two lengths away from victory), she ran the trip out, 3 lengths slower than benchmark, setting a new personal best and the best effort in this field by more than two lengths. Alysha Collett rode the filly to her Maiden win, first-up three starts back and returns to the saddle for today’s assignment. She gets the gun-run from gate one and maps to settle better than mid-field with cover. Back to country racing today, she should take beating here.
BEST VALUE 💰
RAce 2: No.5 STAR WRITER ($7 with Neds)
Gundagai galloper STAR WRITER missed a podium finish for the first time in four starts this preparation but looks well placed here to bounce back today. After three-straight minor placings, the Stratum Star gelding found the 1200m against a stronger field just a little too much last start, but wasn’t disgraced when finishing fourth, here in a Maiden Hcp. The stable have made some gear changes for today’s challenge by removing the Lugging Bit and bringing back the Norton Bit, seeking improvement in the gelding’s performance. He drops back to the 1000m here where he has placed in all three previous runs over the trip. Rock-hard fit after those four starts, he looks a strong chance in this line-up and a worthy investment at odds today.
