Walcha Preview & Best Bets - Friday February 3
Sunshine Coast Preview & Best Bets – Friday February 3
Sunshine Coast Tips 03/02/2023
Our form expert provides Sunshine Coast tips for today’s horse racing at Sunshine Coast Racecourse and gives his best bets.
BEST BET 🏆
Race 6: No.6 GAP YEAR ($3.20 with bet365)
The O’Dea & Hoysted-trained GAP YEAR is second-up here and having a strong record at the track, could take beating tonight. Last start, the lightly-raced Dundeel mare came off a nine-week break when she finished fifth (beaten two lengths) in a Class 1 Hcp over 1350m at Doomben. That was her first exposure to racing conditions in the city and she handled it quite well. She has raced here twice for a win and third-placed finish, giving her good experience with the Corbould Park track. The stable are trying her over the mile tonight as Ben Thompson sticks with the mare for this assignment. With a trouble-free run, she could very well take this out.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 3: No.3 RUSTIC BOOM ($3.40 with bet365)
Trained at the track by Stuart Kendrick, RUSTIC BOOM is an unraced colt by Spirit Of Boom who did enough in his last trial to suggest he can win on debut tonight. In his trial, he finished just over 2 lengths from them over the 850m, then his last trial, he showed improvement when he beat his six rivals by 1.5 lengths that day, with Justin Huxtable in the saddle. They ran that trial, a full three seconds faster over the same trip. Kendrick fits the blinkers for his maiden run and he is well drawn in gate four (after scratchings) and should make a strong impression, on debut on his home track.
BEST VALUE 💰
Race 7: No.3 EARLY THOUGHTS ($4.20 with Palmerbet)
Local galloper EARLY THOUGHTS has had a long campaign this time in but still looks more than capable of matching it with them in this contest. Last start, the Vancouver gelding made it three-straight podium finishes when he took out third prize in a Class 3 Plate, here over 1800m. He covered the journey, 4 lengths slower than benchmark, still the best in this line-up. He does his best racing here on his home track where 11 starts have resulted in a win and no less than five minor placings. Justin Huxtable sticks with him tonight in search of his second win on the four-year-old. Nicely drawn in gate five, he maps to settle just off the pace tonight and with a clear run to the line, he should prove hard to beat home.
