Bunbury Racing Tips Sept 17 — Can Pike Repeat History?
Illawarra Grange Racing Tips: Can Peleus Deliver Again?
Overview
Mitchell Beer and George Carpenter don’t send them to Illawarra Grange for the drive. They’ve had twelve runners at this track and walked away with four winners and six placings from them, and today they line up two more with the same rider on top both times. That’s the sort of pattern worth building a Thursday around, and it’s the spine of these Illawarra Grange racing tips. Peleus, their feature-race runner, has placed in four of his last five starts and was runner-up on his only previous visit here — he’s the pick of the card. Four races go around today on the Illawarra turf, from a fifteen-horse maiden to a competitive midway handicap, and there’s a genuine case in most of them once you look past the debutants. Read on for the pick in each race, who we think is dangerous, and where the market looks generous.
Reading the Illawarra Grange card
Limited course form across today’s fields — most runners have one or two starts here, so this is a jockey and trainer exercise more than a horse-by-horse one. Jean Van Overmeire has ridden thirteen times at this track for a 15% win rate and 31% place rate, useful volume even if the strike rate is modest, and he’s on both of the Beer and Carpenter runners today. C Schofield has been the sharper number gun for backers: two wins and two placings from five rides, an 80% place rate. Dylan Gibbons isn’t engaged today but his 50% win rate from eight rides here is the standout in the jockey colony’s recent history, a reminder that this track can reward the right book of rides.
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C Schofield | 5 | 2 | 4 | 40.0% | 80.0% |
| Dylan Gibbons | 8 | 4 | 5 | 50.0% | 62.5% |
| K S Latham | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40.0% | 60.0% |
| Pierre Boudvillain | 6 | 2 | 2 | 33.3% | 33.3% |
| Tyler Schiller | 9 | 2 | 3 | 22.2% | 33.3% |
| Jean Van Overmeire | 13 | 2 | 4 | 15.4% | 30.8% |
The trainer numbers back up the Beer and Carpenter story. They’ve been the busiest and the most productive stable at Illawarra Grange this year, ahead of a strong Brad Widdup record and well clear of the bigger-name city stables who’ve had plenty of runners here without cashing in as often.
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M, W & J Hawkes | 3 | 1 | 3 | 33.3% | 100.0% |
| Brad Widdup | 8 | 3 | 4 | 37.5% | 50.0% |
| Mitchell Beer & George Carpenter | 12 | 4 | 6 | 33.3% | 50.0% |
| Joseph Pride | 4 | 1 | 2 | 25.0% | 50.0% |
| C J Waller | 4 | 1 | 2 | 25.0% | 50.0% |
| G Waterhouse & A Bott | 8 | 1 | 4 | 12.5% | 50.0% |
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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
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Race-by-race
Race 1: Thank You Chris Barrett Super Mdn Hcp — 1:40PM, 1586m
C J Waller doesn’t often send eight runners into the one maiden, so when he does it’s fair to read something into it. Of that group, Ancestral is the one whose figures are actually heading the right way — beaten a long way first-up, then home for second next start, which in a stable this deep usually means the horse has told them something in between. He’s not the lightest weighted runner in the race, but among the Waller battalion he’s drawn a workable gate and looks the type who wants this trip more than most of his stablemates.
Hello g’Day is the one who could get there first. Trained by Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald, her figures read the same story as Ancestral’s — fourth, then second — and she does it from a lighter weight, which matters in a full field like this. If the gate speed up front holds together, she’s the runner best placed to find the sit and pounce.
Each-way interest on Ancestral, with Hello g’Day the one to include in exotics. Not a race to get carried away on for the win money.
Race 2: Wests Illawarra Provincial Mdn Hcp — 2:15PM, 1258m
Star Of Indigo keeps arriving at the wrong end of first. Three runs in the last ninety days, three minor placings, an average finishing position of 2.0 — that’s not luck, that’s a horse who’s good enough but hasn’t had the split go her way yet. Trainer D Lane doesn’t have the volume at this track to lean on, so this is a horse-form case rather than a stable-form one, and the case is solid: she’s been competitive every time she’s stepped out recently.
Coco Dior is the one who could finally get there first. She’s for the same connections as our best bet later on the card — trainer Mitchell Beer and George Carpenter, with Jean Van Overmeire in the saddle — and her own recent figures match Star Of Indigo’s almost exactly: four placings from her last five runs. Two horses with near-identical strike rates for placing but neither has broken through for a win yet, which makes this one genuinely hard to separate on paper.
Backing Star Of Indigo for the win with Coco Dior taken as the each-way saver is the way to play it — either could easily reverse the placings.
Race 3: Carlton Dry 3.5 Mdn Hcp — 2:50PM, 1422m
Does this race even have a form horse? Seventeen runners, more than half of them yet to race, and the ones with a formline mostly show minor placings without ever threatening the winner’s circle. Hard to have a confident view here. If forced, River Jordan gets the nod — two runs, two minor placings, an average finishing position around third, and C Reith aboard, a rider who’s won two of his four rides at this track. That’s an emerging pattern rather than proof, but it’s more than most of this field can offer.
Adaptation and Snitzel’s Girl both fit the same mould as minor-money chances if the market drifts River Jordan out. This is a watch race rather than a betting one — small stakes only, or leave it alone entirely.
Race 4: Illawarra Production Services Midway Hcp (C1) — 3:25PM, 1312m
Peleus grinds and Bang On Time sprints — the shape of this race probably decides which style gets there first. Peleus has placed in four of his last five runs for an average finish of 2.2, and on his only previous try at Illawarra Grange he was runner-up. That’s a horse who turns up. His trainers, Mitchell Beer and George Carpenter, have won a third of their starts at this track from a healthy twelve runners, and Jean Van Overmeire has partnered them thirty-five times for nine wins and nineteen placings — a genuine, well-used combination rather than a one-off booking. Add it together and Peleus is the best-supported case on the card: proven course form, a trainer in career-best touch at the track, and a rider they keep coming back to.
Bang On Time is the danger, and a live one. Three runs back from a break, three placings, a win among them — a hundred percent strike rate for hitting the frame, even if it’s still a small sample. He’s shown early speed in his recent runs, which could pressure Peleus into racing wider than ideal if the gate goes hard. Iron Fury also deserves a mention for the exotics — four placings from his last five starts, the model of consistency without the scoring punch.
Win bet on Peleus, with Bang On Time the each-way and exacta banker underneath. This is the best betting race on the card.
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Where the money goes
Pulling these Illawarra Grange racing tips together into one card, here’s where we’d put the money.
Best bet: Peleus in Race 4 (3:25PM). Four placings from his last five runs, a runner-up on his only previous try at this track, and a trainer-jockey pairing that has been among the most productive combinations at Illawarra Grange all year.
Value: Star Of Indigo in Race 2. Three runs, three minor placings, and still hasn’t found the frame for a win — the market hasn’t caught up to how consistently competitive she’s been.
Banker: Bang On Time (Race 4) for multis — a hundred percent place strike rate across his last three starts is hard to ignore for a leg you need to land.
Each-way: Ancestral (Race 1) — trending the right way off two runs back from a break, and drawn to get a economical run through a crowded field.
Course angle: Mitchell Beer and George Carpenter with Jean Van Overmeire in the saddle. They’re responsible for two runners today, Coco Dior and Peleus, and both fit the same profile — consistent placegetters who’ve hit the frame four times in their last five runs each. If this stable keeps sending pairs like this to Illawarra Grange, they’ll be the angle to follow at every meeting here.
Best bookmakers for today’s racing
Fixed-price markets for today’s Illawarra Grange meeting hadn’t been posted at the time of writing. Check back closer to the first race for the latest prices from our recommended bookmakers below.
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FAQ
What time does racing start at Illawarra Grange today?
The first race, the Thank You Chris Barrett Super Mdn Hcp, jumps at 1:40PM, with four races on the card finishing with the 3:25PM Illawarra Production Services Midway Hcp.
Who are the top trainers and jockeys at Illawarra Grange today?
Mitchell Beer and George Carpenter lead the trainer table with four wins and six placings from twelve runners at this track (a 50% place rate), and they’ve got two runners on today’s card. C Schofield is the standout available jockey, with two wins and four placings from five rides here (80% place rate).
What are the best bets at Illawarra Grange today?
Our Illawarra Grange racing tips lead with Peleus in Race 4 as the headline selection — four placings from his last five starts and a runner-up finish on his only previous visit to this track. Star Of Indigo in Race 2 is the value play, with three minor placings from her last three runs and still unbeaten in terms of hitting the frame.
Where can I find the best odds for Illawarra Grange races?
Odds weren’t yet listed for this meeting at the time of writing. Compare fixed-price markets across our recommended bookmakers below once prices are posted.
