Penola Preview & Best Bets – 31/03/2024

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

Penola Tips 31/03/2024

BEST BET 🏆   

Race 4 No. 3 SECRET WAR ($2.85)

The Searle and Callanan will be out to turn the tables on Sunday’s rival El Salto. They meet that horse slightly worse off in the weights after going down narrowly with SECRET WAR on the Parks track in town. El Salto found a sweet run in the race to come out and chase Secret War who led at a good clip first-up. They came away to beat the rest of the field comfortably with El Salto getting to Secret War in the shadows of the line. The winner has been on a downhill slope since then while stable apprentice Nichola Yuen comes back into the saddle for Secret War.

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 1 No. 2 CROWN AND ANCHOR ($4.40)

They ran surprisingly fast for maiden grade when CROWN AND ANCHOR just failed to peg back the leader over 1200m on Mount Gambier Cup Day. He travelled strongly on the speed under Sam Payne before grinding after the inside horse from the time they straightened off the dog leg. Hot Flush refused to surrender leaving Crown And Anchor to at least once more race in maiden grade. The horse did hold off the third-placed getter and Sunday’s rival Utilitarian who had simply didn’t quicken after having the cold-sit on the two leaders. Crown And Anchor perhaps should’ve finished much closer to that horse when Utilitarian had him safely held the start prior in Clare.

BEST VALUE 💰   

Race 7 No. 9 DALE’S ROCKET ($9)

Down in the weights while up in class could prove the tonic for DALE’S ROCKET who has been running fast times over the border without winning. He has twice run into former South Australian galloper The Big Kahuna who would be highly competitive in a race like this. Young-gun apprentice Beau Treloar found himself taken on for the front spot before Dale’s Rocket succumbed to the late charge of The Big Kahuna who raced past on the fence. Vanessa Hutchinson then took Dale’s Rocket to town where he ran into a rampant Tahnee Treasure before heading back over to Victoria. He again led at a fast clip over this trip to run third and now gains the services of senior rider Christine Puls on a traditionally leader favoured track.