New Zealand Preview & Best Bets – 13/01/2024

New Zealand Tips for Saturday, January 13

Our form expert provides New Zealand tips for today’s horse racing at Trentham & Wingatui Racecourses and gives his best bets.

TRENTHAM

BEST BET 🏆

Race 8:  No.7  BONNY LASS  ($3.80 with bet365)

Third-up today, BONNY LASS is in great touch this time in and looks ready to pounce today. Last start, the Super Easy mare finished bridesmaid again when she beat all but Waitak home in the Group 1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Pukekohe Park with Craig Grylls aboard. She draws a better gate today, leaving the machine from gate three where she maps to settle just behind the speed. Grylls has an outstanding record with the mare, boasting four wins and five minor placings from his 12 rides to date and steers the ship for this assignment. This is her first look at Trentham but already a winner when third-up, she lines up here as one of the main chances in the race. A trouble-free run here can see her finish ahead of them all today.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 6:  No.8  IMPENDABELLE  ($8 with Ladbrokes)

Tony Pike saddles-up IMPENDABELLE here who has had a solid preparation for this black-type event and ticks enough boxes today to suggest she can take home the major prize. Last start, the Impending filly was slowly away and settled last, a dozen lengths from the leader. The mission to make up that ground proved too much and she finished mid-field in the Group 2 Auckland Guineas (over the shorter 1400m trip). She returns to the 1600m today as Michael McNab is reunited with the filly, having ridden her to success twice previously. Ideally drawn in gate two and unbeaten in two starts at the track, we should see a marked improvement in her efforts today.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 5:  No.7  SUMI  ($8.50 with Bet Right)

The Allan Sharrock-trained SUMI has come back in great touch and third-up today, looks right in the mix for another win. Last start, the Atlante mare came off an impressive first-up win at Wanganui when she settled too far back and couldn’t recover in time, finishing third in Open company, here over 1400m. She steps-up to the mile for the second time today which looks ideal after two runs back. Michael McNab has steered her to two podium finishes previously and returns to for today’s assignment. She has drawn wide (14 of 16) so will need some luck at barrier rise. The six-year-old is already a winner when third-up and has placed three times in four visits to Trentham. She has an impressive resume which shows 23 starts ending in five wins and no less than 11 minor placings, a 70% success rate for top-three finishes. If she can overcome the wide draw, she can give this contest a real shake at odds today.

WINGATUI

BEST BET 🏆

Race 7:  No.5  ELEGANT LADY  ($2.10 with Bet Right)

In career-best form of late, the Walker & Bergerson-trained ELEGANT LADY is beginning to build a picket fence alongside her name and looks well placed at the weights today for a fourth-straight victory in this contest. Last start, the Highly Recommended mare made it look easy at Ashburton when she took out a BM75 Hcp carrying 56kgs that day. Sent out a white-hot $1.60 elect, she took control soon after straightening and went on to win by a length on the line. Today’s assignment is a little harder but she drops to 54kgs for the challenge as Tina Comignaghi has her first ride on the four-year-old. Ideally drawn in gate three, she maps to settle just behind the speed again and will take a power of beating today.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 2:  No.6  SHE’S AN ACE  ($4.65 with BoomBet)

The locally-trained SHE’S AN ACE is second-up today and looks well placed on her home track to record another victory. Last start, the Swiss Ace mare resumed after almost 10 months in the paddock and did well to grab third prize in a BM75 over 1200m at Ascot Park. Jumping from the outside gate (9), she settled well back in the field but hit the line strongly, beaten just 2.5 lengths on the line. Ruvanesh Muniandy was aboard that day and has the job again for this contest. Already a winner when second-up and a two-time winner at the track, she won here over this distance to end her last campaign and is more than capable of doing it again today.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 8:  No.11  SAY SATONO  ($7.50 with Bet Right)

Andrew Carston saddles-up SAY SATONO here who comes in nicely at the weights and yet to miss a top-two finish this time in, looks well placed here to continue that trend today. Last start, the Japanese-sired mare beat all but one to the line in a BM75 over 1400m at Kurow. That made it four-straight top-two finishes for her this preparation. She steps-up to the mile today but fitter for four runs, it looks ideal for her now. Brandon May has finished top-two in all three previous rides on the mare and returns for this assignment today. Allocated 54kgs here, she carries just 1kg over the limit after finishing runner-up against similar company at her past two starts. She maps to settle mid-field here and with a trouble-free run today, she can figure in this finish at odds.