Rockhampton Preview & Best Bets – 17/08/2023

Rockhampton Tips for Thursday, August 17

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

BEST BET 🏆

Race 4:  No.3  HARD REYVA  ($2.60 with Neds)

Sunshine Coast visitor, HARD REYVA, is unbeaten in two starts at this track and looks set to keep that record in tact today. Last start, the All Too Hard gelding came from behind and arrived in time to collect the winner’s purse, here in a BM70 Hcp over 1300m with Jake Bayliss aboard. He carried 59kgs that day and taking on Open class runners here, drops to 56.5kgs for this contest. Townsville Cup winning jockey, Ryan Wiggins, has the reins today and from gate six, maps to settle near mid-field with cover. With a trouble-free run here, he looks a genuine chance win number three at the track.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 7:  No.1  SERGEANT HULKA  ($3.70 with Ladbrokes)

The Garnett Taylor-trained SERGEANT HULKA is third-up today and looks in the mix to bring up his first win here. Last start, the Real Saga gelding had just his ninth race start and second-up, wasn’t disgraced when finishing a close-up fifth in a BM65 Hcp over 1350m at Doomben. He returns to country class today and his four previous starts at the Callaghan Park track have resulted in three runner-up finishes. Ryan Wiggins has steered him to both career wins to date and has the reins again today. With two runs behind him this preparation, he gets a golden opportunity here to break his Rockhampton drought and take this contest out today.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 3:  No.1  SWITCH AND SLIDE  ($5 with Ladbrokes)

Trained at Eagle Farm by Chris Meagher, SWITCH AND SLIDE comes to Callaghan Park in search of his first win and looks well placed here to achieve his goal. Last start, the Sidestep gelding was second-up when he finished third in a 1000m Maiden Plate at the Sunshine Coast. That made it back-to-back podium finishes for the three-year-old. Third-up today, he takes on country class maidens and is well drawn in gate three. Adrian Layt is the pilot and fitter for two runs back, he should take beating here.