Sunshine Coast Preview & Best Bets - Friday January 6
New Zealand Preview & Best Bets – Saturday January 7
New Zealand Tips 07/01/2023
Our form expert provides New Zealand tips for today’s horse racing at Kumara & Trentham Racecourses and gives his best bets.
KUMARA
BEST BET 🏆
Race 5: No.5 DA VINCI GIRL ($8.50 with Palmerbet)
Team Pitman saddle-up DA VINCI GIRL here who has finally run into some form and looks well placed here for a big effort. Last start, the Zacinto mare showed plenty of improvement (over further ground) when she beat all but one home over 1500m at Greymouth. Coming from mid-field early, she found one better on the day but clearly beat the rest to the line. Stepping up in distance again here, she looks even better placed over the 1810m and has one run at the track behind her where she claimed third prize that day. Rock-hard fit after five starts this time in, she is a serious player here at odds.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 7: No.9 JUNE BUG ($9 with bet365)
Riccarton Park galloper JUNE BUG is shooting for the hat-trick here and looks well placed in this contest to pull it off. Last start, the Highly Recommended mare came off a second-up win on her home track when she franked that effort by going back-to-back, winning a BM75 at Ascot over the mile. Leading all the way, she set a good pace early and just outstayed them in the run home. All four career wins have come on wet tracks so conditions today look ideal. Well drawn in gate five, she should have little trouble settling in the first half dozen here and looks a solid each-way chance in this event.
TRENTHAM
BEST BET 🏆
Race 3: No.3 SHAMUS ($1.75 with Ladbrokes)
The Allan Sharrock-trained SHAMUS has won five of his seven race starts to date and looks set to ring up another one here. Last start, the Shamexpress gelding resumed off a lengthy nine-month absence and made it look easy when he took out an Open Hcp, here over 1200m. That was four from four in Open company as he put more than a length on them over the line. He gets the gun-run from gate one here as leading jockey Craig Grylls takes the reins for the first time. Already a winner when second-up and a two-time winner here, surely just bad luck robs him of victory here today.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 2: No.6 BEST SELLER ($1.85 with Palmerbet)
The John Bary-trained BEST SELLER is in great touch this time in and looks the one to beat in this contest. Last start, the Irish-sired filly was impressive when finishing second in the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas over 1600m at Riccarton. While no match for the winner (Legarto) that day, she put more than two lengths on the rest at her first attempt over the mile trip. She comes off a six-week let-up here and drops back to a more suitable distance where she is already a winner. Sam Spratt has steered her to both career wins to date and remains in charge again today. Ideally drawn in gate three, she will take beating here.
