Pakenham Preview & Best Bets – 04/04/2024

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

Pakenham Tips 04/04/2024

BEST BET 🏆   

Race 3 No. 4 HEARCOMESTHESTAR- ($3.70) 

HEARCOMESTHESTAR can go close in Race 4. The John Moloney-trained galloper has been luckless in a number of her runs since her debut win last year and resumed with a 4th at Pakenham over the 1000m on February 29. She settled back in that race and was held up from the 500m to the 300m before producing the fastest last 200m to run 4th, beaten three lengths. Second up at her last preparation, the daughter of Zoustar improved 14 lengths on benchmark figures when going from a 3rd at Ballarat in a BenchMark 64 to an unlucky 6th in the Group 3 Red Roses (1100m) at Flemington behind Mumbai Muse. She needs to do it from a wide barrier but the tempo looks solid enough for her to get a nice trail into the race. 

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 7 No.2 BIDEN TIME – ($4.10) 

BIDEN TIME can make it back to back wins when he steps out in Race 7. The three-year-old has had just the two career starts and ran on strongly when 3rd on debut at Werribee over the 1400m before arriving in time to defeat Alma Rise at Sandown over the 1500m on March 6. Those two gapped the rest and the runner-up has since come out and won by five lengths at Pakenham. Biden Time went 3.9 lengths faster than standard benchmark last time, which is more than seven lengths better than the next best last start figures of any runner. He might have scope for further improvement and the step up to BenchMark 64 looks to be within his grasp. 

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 8 No. 10  ESSKAY – ($5.10) 

ESSKAY is a solid contender in the final race of the day. The three-year-old was an impressive debut winner last year then was thrown into the deep end when unplaced behind some big names, including Griff and Riff Rocket, who went on to bigger and better things. He looks better suited in this grade and resumed at Bendigo in a BenchMark 64 over the 1300m on March 21, overcoming traffic at the top of the straight and producing the fastest last 200m to fill the exacta behind Russian Front. He will strip fitter for this and the slight step up in trip should suit. Blake Shinn rides and strikes at 23% for the stable.