Mudgee Preview & Best Bets – Sunday February 19

Steve Bennett

in Bets of the Day 19 Feb 2023

Mudgee Tips 19/02/2023

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

BEST BET 🏆

Race 2: No.3 XCITED ($2.10 with TAB)

The Bjorn Baker-trained XCITED is unbeaten in two starts and looks well placed here to make it a hat-trick today. Last start the Savabeel gelding came off his debut victory when he franked that effort by taking out a BM58 over 1800m at Bathurst. He ran the fastest final 200m sectional for that race. He drops back to the mile here and has a third rider for this contest as Mitchell Bell takes the reins. The well-bred galloper looks a promising prospect and is the one to beat here.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 3: No.8 STORMY PLUCK ($7 with Ladbrokes)

Muswellbrook galloper STORMY PLUCK is in career-best form this time in and looks a genuine winning chance here at odds. Last start, the Pluck mare failed to fire at all when finishing second-last (of 6) in a Class 3 Hcp over 1350m at Newcastle. The Heavy 9 track and rise in grade would have had some impact that day. She still managed to run her last 600m, 7.5 lengths quicker than benchmark, the best in this field by more than 9 lengths. Back on top of the ground today, Mitchell Bell is booked for his first ride on the six-year-old mare who is already a two-time winner on dry tracks so the forecast Good 4 looks a bonus for her today. Ideally drawn in gate three here, she was $18 overnight and looks well placed to give this a real shake.

BEST VALUE 💰

Race 7: No.9 EXTRA FLASH ($8 with Palmerbet)

The Brett Thompson-trained has clocked-up four podium finishes from his six starts this time in and looks ideally placed here to make his Mudgee debut a winning one. Last start, the American-bred gelding returned to the podium when beating all but one home in a BM66 Hcp over 1280m at Muswellbrook. He ran that trip out, 4.2 lengths slower than benchmark, still the best last-start effort in this line-up. Clayton Gallagher returns to the saddle today after steering the five-year-old to both career victories to date. He gets the gun-run from gate one and maps to settle just off the speed. In from $18 yesterday, there is money for the number nine and he has enough going for him here to rate an each-way chance in this contest.