Rockhampton Preview & Best Bets – 16/02/2024

Rockhampton Tips for Friday, February 16

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

BEST BET 🏆

Race 5:  No.4  ROY’S ROAD

Locally-trained by Zoe Hohn, ROY’S ROAD is firing on all cylinders since joining the stable and facing another home-track contest here, looks the testing material today. Last start, the Sizzling mare was shooting for the hat-trick when she beat all but one home, here in a BM60 over 1816m. That was her sixth podium finish in seven starts at the track and Beau Appo’s fifth top-three finish with her in as many starts. She drops a little in grade here with Appo remaining in the saddle for this assignment. It’s a seven-day back-up for the mare today but in top-shelf form of late, she looks the one to beat again.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 10:  No.13  VALTINO 

Nick Walsh saddles-up VALTINO here and down in the weights today looks a serious chance of going back-to-back in this contest. Last start, the Heroic Valour mare resumed off a lengthy five-month break and showing no signs of fatigue, took out a BM55, here over 1050m. Warwick Satherley takes over for this assignment (having ridden the mare to victory previously) and fitter for that first-up effort, looks one of the main chances here. Four previous second-up appearances have resulted in three runner-up finishes and she is already a winner at the track and distance. Nicely drawn in gate three today, she maps to settle near mid-field with plenty of cover and in the long run home, should have plenty of time to weave a passage home and be challenging at the finish.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 8:  No.6  DIVINE HUNTER

Another local product here is DIVINE HUNTER who is high flying after two starts back and looks in the mix again for another top-three finish. Last start, the Divine Prophet mare finally broke through for her Maiden win after a dozen attempts but did it well by beating home our race five selection (Roy’s Road) in the process. Apprentice, Brook Johnson rode her a treat that day, settling her in the box seat and timing her run to perfection, shot through the gap and was never headed from there, going on to win by a length on the line. She has since enjoyed a five-week freshen-up and should be ready to tackle this contest today. Tahlia Fenlon is the new pilot for this assignment and fitter for two runs back now, the five-year-old should be threatening once again.