Oakbank Preview & Best Bets – Wednesday 17 January

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

Oakbank Tips 17/01/2024

BEST BET 🏆   

Race 4 No. 5 SKINDER – ($2.30)

Racing returned to Oakbank last month for the first time since April of that year. Horses who have prior experience here will again be heavily advantaged. This is not a meeting we want to be mucking around too much with and so will happily land on SKINDER as our Best Bet. The David Jolly trained mare came out of two strong maiden races, including running a close second here on debut over the Easter carnival. We backed Skinder to get the job done first-up after being highly impressive at the jump outs this time in. She bolted in while posting sharp time over this track and trip under Kayla Crowther and can go on with it tomorrow.

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 7 No. 2 ZUFASTA – ($5)

Lachlan Niendorf can bring ZUFASTA home a winner in the last at Oakbank Racecourse on Wednesday. Zufasta has been a constant tease to connections and a thorn to punters since his latest win, which was more than a year ago. Support for the horse has been justified with recent placings in handy races. Latest of which was running second when settling just behind the speed over 1050 metres at Morphettville. The leader Willaston gave a kick from the top of the straight to fend off the challenge of Zufasta after gaining a cheap run throughout. Zufasta hasn’t helped himself by racing keenly behind other horses and Niendorf won’t mind having some room to balance him up tomorrow.

BEST VALUE 💰   

Race 5 No. 2 ALPINE BEAU – ($7)

The Murray Bridge training duo of John Hickmott & Carrina Riggs have ALPINE BEAU up and about this prep. The pair sent Alpine Beau out over 1900 metres here two starts ago where they scored under Sam Payne. Payne gave Alpine Beau a cold ride as per the horse’s usual style as the field ran along. Alpine Beau reeled his rivals in on straightening before fending off a challenge from consistent galloper Tullaghan. Has run second over 2000 metres at Naracoorte since when the leader Etera got away with cheap sections out in front. Sam got on his bike early in a bid to give Alpine Beau every chance at the business end only to find the odds-on fave too slick in the run home.