Orange Preview & Best Bets – 28/12/2023

Orange Tips for Thursday, December 28

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

BEST BET 🏆

Race 1:  No.2  FOUR O’CLOCK KNOCK  ($2 with Ladbrokes)

The ever-consistent FOUR O’CLOCK KNOCK is in great touch this time in and is knocking on the door for another victory. Last start, the Sacred Falls gelding rang up yet another minor placing when he beat all but one home in a Class 1, here over 2100m. The stable fit the blinkers for the first time as they drop him back to the mile trip here. At his peak after four runs back, he draws gate four and maps to be parked right behind the early speed. Jett Stanley will give him every chance in the run home and avoiding any dramas, he looks a serious player in this contest.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 3:  No.7  SEMPER FORTIS  ($2.40 with bet365)

Hawkesbury galloper SEMPER FORTIS is high flying this time in and looks well placed here to keep the momentum going today. Last start, the Tavistock gelding made it four-straight top-two finishes when he beat all but one home in a BM66 over 1800m at Bathurst. He finished second here three starts back over 2100m on a Heavy 8 that day. He has four runner-up prizes on rain affected tracks against his name. At his peak today, Clay Gallagher has the reins for the first time here as the five-year-old maps to be box-seating on settling as he leaves the machine from gate three. In great form this time in, he looks the benchmark here.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 2:  No.4  MEMORIES  ($4.05 with BoomBet)

The Dubbo-based MEMORIES has a sound record here and third-up today, ticks all the right boxes that suggest she is the one to beat in this contest. Two starts back, the Ferlax mare resumed off a 14-week spell with a win in a BM74 Hcp, here over 1310m on a Heavy 9 that day. Then last start, she beat all but one home in another BM74 contest over thew longer 1410m trip, also on the Orange track. Apprentice, Shayleigh Ingelse, was aboard for both rides and sticks with her today. Ideally drawn in gate three, she maps to settle just behind the pace and with 2.5kgs less to carry today, she can give this a real shake.