Ipswich Preview & Best Bets – 01/04/2024

Ipswich Tips for Monday, April 1

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

BEST BET 🏆

Race 7:  No.3  TALK TIME 

The Lindsay Hatch-trained TALK TIME is second-up today and looks well placed here to make an impression at his Ipswich debut. Last start, the Spill The Beans gelding was fresh off a 15-week spell and beaten at the barrier when he drew gate 14 (of 16) and finished a creditable fifth in a Class 3 over 1200m at the Gold Coast. More than a dozen lengths (last) behind the leader and no chance of winning, Angela Jones wound him up and he hit the line strongly in the end. He gets the opportunity to settle a lot closer today drawing gate one with Andrew Mallyon as the new pilot for this assignment. The four-year-old shows plenty of promise and already a winner when second-up and unbeaten in two starts over the trip, he looks right in the mix here.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 1:  No.5  SUBAQUA

The Bevan Laming-trained SUBAQUA is in good touch this time in and looks well placed here to break through today. Last start, the well-bred Manhattan Rain gelding was second-up and showing improvement from his first-up effort, beat all but one home in a 2000m Maiden Hcp at Toowoomba. In the run home, he wouldn’t run straight and inside the final 200m, ducked in and hampered another runner, which ended up costing him a win. He still hit the line strongly but arrived a whisker too late and had to settle for second prize. Fitter for two runs back, riding tactics will be interesting here as he could settle on the speed today. Micheal Hellyer sticks with him and if his home-straight manners have improved, he can get the job done in this contest.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 6:  No.14  PIANIST

Another from the Bevan Laming stable is PIANIST who is second-up today and ticks enough boxes to make things interesting in this contest. Last start, the Smart Missile mare resumed off a 15-week spell when clearly in need of the run, finished unplaced in a BM65, here over 800m. They went too quick for her that day as she struggled on fresh legs. She is a two-time winner on ‘soft’ tracks so conditions here look ideal for her today. Already a winner when second-up, she also boasts being a track specialist where all three career-wins have come right here. Micheal Hellyer has his second ride on the mare today where she will do very little early work from an ideal draw in gate two. Provided she doesn’t fall too far back today, she can give this event a real shake at double-figure odds.