Rockhampton Preview May 26 – Friday Best Bets & Tips

Rockhampton Tips 26/05/2023

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

BEST BET 🏆

Race 4:  No.4  THISISLAND IS MYISLAND  ($2.80 with bet365)

Local galloper THISLAND IS MYLAND is yet to miss a top-two finish this time in and looks ideally placed here to keep that record going here. Last start, the Territories gelding took care of a BM65, here over 1200m. Coming from mid-field early, he finished too strong for them and took the honours by more than a length on the line. He ran his last 600m, 1.5 lengths quicker than benchmark, the best in this field, while posting the fastest final 800m to 200m sectionals for the race as well. Adrian Layt has the ‘con’ today and in top shelf form already, its hard to tip against the four-year-old here.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 1:  No.2  HOLLYWOOD ANGEL  ($2.90 with Neds)

The Ricky Vale-trained HOLLYWOOD ANGEL is in great shape after two career-starts and looks set to give the race-favourite (Shamedy) a real run for his money today. Last start, the Better Than Ready filly took all the glory when she led from barrier to box, here in a Two-Year-Old Maiden over 1200m. She set a slow pace that day and finished strongly to cross the line more than a length in front of them. She draws inside the odds-on favourite here and although it is a small field, it’s possible Shamedy could be trapped wide in the race while conceding 5.5kgs to Vale’s filly. Ryan Wiggins remains in the saddle after two successful rides to date. Even fitter for two runs in, she can out-race them here and steal the accolades again today.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 7:  No.7  DEVIL KICK  ($3.40 with Picklebet)

The locally-trained DEVIL KICK has been thereabouts since her first-up win four starts back and looking better suited here, can return to the winner’s circle today. Last start, she stepped up in distance and in a slowly-run affair, finished just behind the placegetters in the BM55 Hcp over the mile at Mackay. She ran her final 600m, 2 lengths slower than standard benchmark, but that was still the best last-start effort in this line-up. Back to a more suitable 1400m today, Ryan Wiggins sticks with the Scissor Kick filly and back on home soil, with a win at the track and distance already on her resume, she looks just the ticket today.