Randwick Preview & Best Bets – 20/04/2024
New Zealand Preview & Best Bets – 20/04/2024
- See our best selections here for Ellerslie & Riccarton including a $20 value bet today
New Zealand Tips for Saturday, April 20
Our form expert provides New Zealand tips for today’s horse racing at Ellerslie & Riccarton Racecourses and gives his best bets.
ELLERSLIE
BEST BET 🏆
Race 1: No.7 POUR THE WINE
The Team Williams-trained POUR THE WINE is on fire this time in, winning three of her four starts to date, and looks ideally placed here to chalk-up another one today. Last start, the winning streak came to an end but the Telperion mare still managed a podium finish when she crossed the line in third place, here over 1500m. Today, she drops back to the 1200m trip where she is a four-time winner and is yet to miss a spot on the podium in three starts on the Ellerslie track. Warren Kennedy has racked-up three wins from his eight rides on the mare and steers the ship again. Ideally drawn in gate four, she maps to settle better than mid-field and in her current frame of mind, she should prove hard to hold out again.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 4: No.11 WIND OF CHANGE
Tony Pike saddles-up WIND OF CHANGE here who is third-up today and looks ready to pounce. Last start, the Deep Field filly showed big improvement off her first-up effort when she beat all but one home in a BM65, here over 1200m. She drew the outside gate (11) that day and speared across to lead them on settling. She kept them all at bay except for race favourite Marengo who enjoyed the sit behind the filly and proved too strong in the end. Today, this little girl strips even fitter here and gets the gun-run from gate one with Craig Grylls remaining aboard for this assignment. She has plenty of upside about her and with so many positives here, she looks just the ticket.
BEST VALUE 💰
Race 7: No.6 CHATTAHOOCHEE
The Debbie Sweeney-trained CHATTAHOOCHEE has won six of her 12 starts to date and looks a solid chance of bringing up the hat-trick today. Last start, the Reliable Man gelding franked his Tauranga win (two starts back) by going back-to-back (against the odds) at Pukekohe in a BM75 over 1500m. Carrying 60kgs (after a 3kg claim), he drew the outside gate (11) and travelled three-wide for the first half of the race. The five-year-old fought it out with Hat Trick right down to the wire where he got the bob-in on the post. This is a big step up in grade with Matthew Cameron scoring the ride but in winning form, he looks up for the challenge (at odds).
RICCARTON
BEST BET 🏆
Race 6: No.8 THE HOTTIE
Another from the Robbie Patterson stable is THE HOTTIE who lines-up here winning two of her past three starts and looks all set here for back-to-back wins today. Last start, the Swiss Ace mare came off a four-week freshen-up when she clobbered an Open Class field, here over 1200m with Courtney Barnes aboard. Settling with the run of the race (one out, one back), Barnes rode her a treat, pulling out on straightening and driving her to the line, where she crossed 2.5 lengths clear in the end. On a Soft 7, running 1:10.6 for the 1200m was also impressive. She has proven to be a consistent galloper, boasting a 70% success rate for podium finishes and drawn the fence today, with Barnes at the helm again, she will take beating here.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 4: No.9 SINBIN
The Robbie Patterson-trained SINBIN has been in good touch this time in and looks well placed here to give this contest a real shake today. Last start, the Aussie-bred mare did a mighty job to beat all but one home in a BM75 over 1200m at Trentham. Jumping from gate 12 (of 14), she was never on the track as Craig Grylls did his best to keep her in the contest to the turn. She then showed plenty of fight to keep chasing and finish just half a length from victory after covering more ground than Bourke & Wills. Much better placed in gate seven today, she maps to settle mid-field (with cover this time) and due to Craig Grylls riding at Ellerslie today, Courtney Barnes returns for the assignment (after steering her to victory two starts back). In good form and better drawn today, she looks the one to beat here.
BEST VALUE 💰
Race 9: No.7 SHOCKALLIA
In a wide open affair, the Kelvin Tyler-trained SHOCKALLIA isn’t without a chance here and lines up at great odds today. Last start, the son of Melbourne Cup winner Shocking came off a good win at Gore when he was faced with unfavourable conditions at Riverton. On a Heavy 10 that day, he finished just behind the placegetters in Open company over 2147m. Today, conditions are much more favourable with a forecast Soft 5 where he has already won three times on the surface. Jasmine Fawcett is two for two on the six-year-old and returns to take the reins today. He is in great touch this time in with five podium finishes (three wins) from his seven starts and looks a solid chance here at big odds. An each-way ticket looks the go today,
