Mackay Preview & Best Bets – 11/03/2024

Mackay Tips for Monday, March 11

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

BEST BET 🏆

Race 5:  No.7  READY FOR MAGIC

Another from the Ricky Vale stable is READY FOR MAGIC who is second-up today and ticks all the right boxes to suggest he is the one to beat in this contest. Last start, the Better Than Ready gelding resumed off a 15-week spell and did well to beat all but one home in Open company over 1100m at Rockhampton. With Brooke Johnson aboard, he finally found clean air inside the last 300m but was unable to run down the leader that day. He did however manage to finish 3.5 lengths ahead of the third placegetter. He brings a glowing resume into this race today that shows he is already a three-time winner when second-up and has two previous victories at the track and distance as well. Johnson remains aboard and after her claim, the six-year-old goes to the gates carrying 1.5kgs under the limit here with just 52.5kgs on his back. He looks a serious player today.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 4:  No.7  SEISME

The Ricky Vale-trained SEISME is racing well without much luck of late but looks in the mix here today. Last start, the well-bred Medaglia D’oro gelding made it a hat-trick of minor placings when he took home third prize from a Restricted 55 Hcp, here over 1300m. He box-seated on settling and in the run home, had gaps close on him, forcing Ryan Wiggins to ease him and then cross heels. Losing momentum in the process, he still showed plenty of fight and was crowded for room over the final 100m. The three gallopers hit the line together, leaving this five-year-old on the raw end of the photo, beaten a neck on the line. He draws out today which may serve as a blessing, seeing him map to settle back behind the speed and off the fence. Ryan Wiggins has been aboard in all eight career starts and steers the ship again today. He can turn it all round here.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 6:  No.13  ADMIRAL’S DAUGHTER  

She is an overnight drifter in the market but the Bonnie Thompson-trained ADMIRAL’S DAUGHTER has plenty of qualities to like here and still looks a worthy contender for the major prize in this contest. Formerly with the Ciaron Maher stable, the well-bred Merchant Navy mare had a four-week break before she hit the track for her first start in Nth Qld where she enjoyed immediate success, breaking through in a 1200m Maiden on her new home track at Townsville. Adam Sewell had her parked behind the two leaders and in the run home, took control and went on for a comfortable win in the end. This isn’t much harder as she comes up with gate four and with Sewell remaining in charge, she maps to be box-seating on settling. At her peak after four runs this time in, if she can find clean air on straightening, she should prove hard to hold out at odds today.