Rockhampton Preview May 18 – Thursday Best Bets & Tips

Rockhampton Tips 18/05/2023

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

BEST BET 🏆

Race 2:  No.2  REAL STATEMENT  ($1.80 with Ladbrokes)

The locally-trained REAL STATEMENT is in outstanding form this this time in and looks set to rack-up her fourth win is five starts today. Last start, the Real Impact filly dominated proceedings again with a comfortable win, here in a Three-Year-Old Hcp over the 1050m sprint. Ryan Wiggins was aboard that day as he made it two wins from as many rides and sticks with the filly again today. Her five runs on the Callaghan Park track have resulted in three wins and two runner-up finishes, supporting her claim as a track specialist. She gets the gun-run from gate one today and maps to be showing them the way from barrier rise. She has the blinkers on for the first time and rock-hard fit from four starts in, she looks the best of the day.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 4:  No.3  KASINOVA KID  ($2.10 with Palmerbet)

Locally-trained by Nick Walsh, KASINOVA KID boasts an extraordinary record of finishing top-two in all 13 career starts to date and looks ‘all-but’ certain of keeping that record intact today. Last start, the Bel Esprit gelding missed bringing up the hat-trick when finishing second to Knight’s Sword, here in a Class 6 Hcp over 1300m. Conceding the winner weight that day, it was also his first shot beyond 1200m and did well to take home the silver medal and finish almost seven lengths ahead of the third placegetter. Justin Stanley returns for the ride today and he is yet to taste defeat on the four-year-old, winning both rides to date. Back to the 1050m trip where he is a five-time winner, he maps to be on speed from gate four and will take a ton of beating today.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 6:  No.3  WINE TALKS  ($3.90 with Palmerbet)

The successful pairing of Ricky Vale and Ryan Wiggins come together here again as WINE TALKS takes his place in this event and third-up today looks a serious player in this field. Last start, the Star Witness gelding was second-up and gave them a galloping lesson when he easily accounted for a BM55 Hcp over 1200m at Mackay. With Wiggins in the saddle that day, the four-year-old carried 60kgs to score by a length on the line. He is stepping up in grade today but carries less weight and with Wiggins in the saddle, he looks a genuine chance at going back-to-back here.