Tamworth Preview & Best Bets – 08/04/2024

Tamworth Tips for Monday, April 8

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

BEST BET 🏆

Race 1:  No.5  ZOFFANY’S GAZE

Locally-trained by Mark Mason, ZOFFANY’S GAZE is a lightly raced seven-year-old who holds shares in this track and in great touch this time in, looks a serious chance of racking up another home-track victory today. Last start, the Zoffany gelding came off an unlucky fourth at Scone over 1600m when he took on a BM74 field at Armidale and beat all but one home in the longer 1900m contest. Settling worse than mid-field, he made up plenty of ground in the run home to grab second prize that day. Back on home soil today, his resume is glowing as he boasts four wins and as many minor placings from his ten starts here. He also has seven podium finishes from 11 starts on wet tracks to brag about so conditions here today are ideal. Grant Buckley rode him to victory on this track three starts back and steers the ship again for this assignment. He does no early work from gate two and looks the one to beat here.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 7:  No.11  ROYAL RADIANCE 

The Stephen Jones-trained ROYAL RADIANCE is three starts into this campaign and should be at her peak for this contest today. After winning her Maiden first-up, the Hallowed Crown mare has finished just behind the placegetters in her last two efforts. Last start, she took over soon after straightening and looked the goods but was just found wanting in the final 100m and was swamped near the line, relegating her to fourth place, here in the 1200m BM58 event. Jones has responded by bringing the mare back in distance where she is already a winner and coming off a six-week let-up, she should be fresh and ready run. She can get the job done today.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 6:  No.5  SMOOTH ESPRIT  

Dubbo trainer, Clint Lundholm makes the 300klm trip east today with just two gallopers on the float and one of those is SMOOTH ESPRIT who lines up here second-up and ticks enough boxes to get interested at (currently) double-figure odds in this contest. Last start, the Bel Esprit gelding resumed off a six-month absence and finished an eye-catching fourth in a BM82 over an unsuitable 1100m on his home track. After blowing the start (from gate 11), he settled second-last in the 14-strong field and was trapped three and four-deep to the turn. Already covering more territory than Bourke & Wills, he straightened as the widest runner and while looking 100-1 at the time, he stormed home to grab fourth prize, beaten less than three lengths on the line. That was an impressive effort, first-up after six months in the paddock. He meets similar company today, only he steps-up to a more suitable distance. Ben Looker steered him to victory three starts back in Open company at Dubbo and is sticking with him here. Ideally drawn in gate two, he does no early work and fitter for that first-up run, he should be storming home again. He is certainly well worth an each-way ticket today.