Dubbo Preview & Best Bets - Monday January 30
Grafton Preview & Best Bets – Tuesday January 31
Grafton Tips 31/01/2023
Our form expert provides Grafton tips for today’s horse racing at Grafton Racecourse and gives his best bets.
BEST BET 🏆
Race 3: No.1 ECHOES OF MY MIND ($2.35 with Palmerbet)
The Paul Shailer-trained ECHOES OF MY MIND has come back in red-hot form this preparation and ticks all the boxes here to suggest he is the pick of the day. Last start, the Echoes Of Heaven gelding made it four-straight podium finishes when he took out a BM58, here over 2200m. Ridden the perfect race by Luke Dittman, he comfortably carried 58.5kgs to win the event by more than a length that day. He meets similar company today as Dittman sticks with him as he gets all the favours from gate one. Rock-hard fit after fours run back, he should take a power of beating here.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 7: No.5 STUCK IN A DREAM ($3.80 with bet365)
Gold Coast galloper STUCK IN A DREAM has impressed at her only three starts to date and looks a genuine player in this contest. Last start, the Spieth filly came off a 10-month absence and on fresh legs broke through for her Maiden win over 1000m at Eagle Farm. She ran that trip out, 4 lengths slower than benchmark, second-best here to La Cronica who returns to the track after more than 12 months on the sidelines and draws gate 15 here. Jag Guthmann-Chester is in control today where the filly gets the gun-run after drawing the fence and maps to settle just off the speed. Fitter for that first-up win at the Farm, with a clear run to the line here, she should prove hard to hold out today.
BEST VALUE 💰
Race 1: No.3 CROWNED EMPRESS ($4.80 with BlueBet)
Port Macquarie galloper CROWNED EMPRESS has been consistent this time in and looks well placed here for win number two this preparation. Last start, the Hallowed Crown mare came off a seven-week let-up when she finished just behind the money in a BM74 over 1200m on her home track. The 61.5kgs proved a telling factor that day. Jason Taylor returns for today’s assignment (after steering her to victory in the Jacaranda Cup at Grafton four starts back) and from gate five, maps to settle just behind the speed. She looks right in the thick of things here.
