Port Macquarie Preview June 18 – Sunday Best Bets & Tips

Steve Bennett

in Bets of the Day 18 Jun 2023

Port Macquarie Tips 18/06/2023

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

BEST BET 🏆

Race 3: No.2 BANTARKI ($5 with Bet Right)

Taree galloper BANTARKI likes racing here and now well into this campaign has the fitness on his side to be a major player in this contest. Last start, the Sooboog gelding finished fifth in a Class 2 Hcp, here over 1500m. In the final 100m, five of them engaged in a bumping charge to the line with Bantarki finishing on the wrong end of it, beaten less than half a length on the line. Grant Buckley sticks with him here and from gate four he maps to settle just off the pace. With a clear run to the line today, he can add another victory on the track to his resume.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 6: No.2 FIRE UP BRUCE ($4.80 with Palmerbet)

The Grafton-based FIRE UP BRUCE is in career-best form this time in and despite the wide draw, looks the one to beat here. Two starts back, the Furnaces gelding was impressive when winning a Class 1 Hcp here, then last start, was beaten a head on the line in BM58 company at Lismore over 1210m. Cejay Graham was aboard on both occasions and sticks with four-year-old for this assignment. One visit to this track over this distance resulted in a win and if he can cross and settle early here, he should prove hard to hold out today.

BEST VALUE 💰

Race 7: No.2 DUBAI TYCOON ($9.10 with BoomBet)

To the feature race of the day and the Brett Cavanough-trained Dubai Tycoon is third-up here and looks primed to give this a real shake at odds today. Last start, the Written Tycoon gelding came off a close-up second in Open company at the Sunshine Coast when he produced a déjà vu performance in the Beef Week Cup at Lismore. Settling back in field that day, he took the corner with more than half of them in front of him and had to weave through traffic to secure clean air. Doing his best work in the final 100m, he hit the line hard but was ‘nosed-out’ again, taking home the bridesmaid’s prize for the second time. Andrew Gibbons has been booked for today’s assignment and with a little more luck in running, he looks a real threat at odds today. Already a two-time winner when third-up, he is well worth an each-way ticket here.