New Zealand Tips 22/10/2022

Our form expert provides New Zealand betting tips for today’s horse racing at Riccarton and Te Rapa Racecourses and gives his best bets.

RICCARTON

BEST BET 🏆

Race 10:  No.10  BELLE OF THE BALL  ($4 with BlueBet)

The Mark Walker-trained BELLE OF THE BALL comes off a hat-trick here and with the runs already on the board, has strong claims to make it four-straight in this contest. Last start, the Savabeel mare brought up the hat-trick in style when she put more than two lengths on a 16-strong field in a BM75 Hcp, here over the mile. She steps up to the 2000m here where she finished runner-up at her only run over the trip in the Listed Warstep Stakes, also at this track five starts back. She will be rock-hard fit after four runs this time in and if she can cross and settle early from her wide gate, she can take this out as well.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 6:  No.4  BOOT IT SCOOTER  ($16 with Unibet)

The Lance Robinson-trained BOOT IT SCOOTER resumed in great touch until a tragic mishap last start and deserves another chance here. Coming off an impressive first-up win here two starts back, the Vespa gelding drew the fence last start in a BM65 at Phar Lap Raceway but threw it all away at the start when he left the barriers buck-jumping and his race was over right there. He did settle down eventually but was tailed-off and the run is best forgotten. Go on his win here two starts back where he also jumped badly but soon recovered to go on and beat home the 11-strong field by 1.5 lengths in the 1200m event with Kavish Chowdhoory in the saddle. He has drawn gate seven here and maps to settle mid-field with cover in the big field of fourteen. At good odds in this contest, he is worth considering once more.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 7:  No.14  OVER TO YOU  ($18 with Palmerbet)

Down in the weights here, the Jamie Bullard-trained OVER TO YOU is unbeaten in two starts this time in and looks well drawn here to give this a shake at big odds. Last start, the Star Witness mare came off a crushing Maiden win when she clobbered her BM65 rivals in similar fashion. Over the 1200m trip on this track, she put more than three lengths on her opposition that day, leading from barrier to box on the synthetic track. Kylie Williams sticks with her here and from gate three, she will have no trouble finding the front from there. This is a little tougher but if she can set a pace to suit, they may find it hard to run her down again. She is well worth an each-way ticket here.

TE RAPA

BEST BET 🏆

Race 4:  No.6  ENCHANTED ELLE  ($6.50 with Unibet)

The Shaun Phelan-trained ENCHANTED ELLE is in career-best form of late and looks primed to go on with it here. Last start, the Jakkalberry mare brought up the hat-trick when she proved too good for a BM75 field, here over 2100m. Leading from the outset, she crossed the line more than a length ahead of the 11-strong field. With Michael McNab taking the ride on Starrybeel here, Craig Grylls has the reins for this assignment. A proven track specialist (with three wins and two runner-up finishes from her six starts here), she maps to settle on-speed from gate two and on current form, she will take beating in this contest.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 5:  No.1  ROCABABY  ($11 with BlueBet)

Anna Clement saddles-up ROCABABY here who is unbeaten in two starts this preparation and looks set to go on with it here. The El Roca filly brought up her first win by taking out the Listed O’learys Fillies Stakes over 1200m on a heavy track at Wanganui two starts back. Then last start, she repeated the dose when beating home a field of three-year-olds in another 1200m event at Hawera. Mahesh Mudhoo was aboard for both those runs and remains in the saddle here. Perfectly drawn in gate two, she maps to settle in the first half-dozen with cover and given a trouble-free run, looks a genuine chance to bring up the hat-trick here at good odds.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 9:  No.14  ZAILA  ($17 with Palmerbet)

The Kylie Grass-trained ZAILA is down in the weights for this event and second-up here looks primed to go back-to-back at odds. Formerly trained by Shane Nichols at Mornington, the lightly-raced Street Boss mare was fresh off a six-month break after crossing the Tasman and making her New Zealand debut, proved too good for a 14-strong field in a BM65, here over 1200m. From gate ten, she crossed and settled just off the pace and fought on strongly to hold them off in the end. She should strip fitter for that run and although up in grade here, she looks great value at (currently) double-figure odds for this contest.