Taree Preview & Best Bets – 02/01/2024

Taree Tips for Tuesday, January 2

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

BEST BET 🏆

Race 1:  No.4  JONNY BE SWIFT  ($3.30 with Ladbrokes)

Warwick Farm trainer Greg Hickman makes the four-hour trek north today and saddles-up JONNY BE SWIFT here who has hit the ground running after a five-month absence and looks set for back-to-back victories here. Last start, the well-bred So You Think gelding made light work of a Queanbeyan Maiden as he destroyed the 11-strong field, putting four lengths on them across the line. The point of interest in that win was he did it on a Heavy 8, making today’s conditions ideal for his second-up appearance. He sat behind the speed last start before dominating in the run home and today, he draws gate five and maps to be in a similar position on settling. Aaron Bullock takes over as pilot and a repeat of that last-start effort should see him as the one to beat again.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 5:  No.6  GO ISLA GO  ($2.45 with Picklebet)

The Damien Lane-trained GO ISLA GO is high flying this time in and ticks the right boxes to suggest she may take catching again. Last start, the Sheer Talent filly showed them a clean set of heels as she led all the way to win a Coonamble Maiden over 1200m. She dominated the race up front and went on to win by a length on the line. Now five starts into this campaign, she is at her peak as the three-year-old steps up in class today. She gets the gun-run from gate one and should be leading them from the front again. She finished runner-up at Gosford two starts back on a Heavy 8 so the wet conditions shouldn’t affect her chances today. Anna Roper holds the reins for this contest and with a trouble-free run up front, she looks a genuine chance of back-to-back victories today.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 7:  No.4  AGIRLSBESTFRIEND  ($7.60 with BoomBet)

The Port Macquarie-based galloper AGIRLSBESTFRIEND is second-up today and looks a solid chance of taking a hand in the finish here. The Star Turn mare ended her last campaign finishing third in the Livermore Cup, here over 1400m. Then, first-up this time in, she wasn’t disgraced when finishing fourth in a BM66 over 1300m at Scone. Luke Rolls has partnered the mare seven times to date and is in the saddle again for today’s assignment. She has gate seven today but is a known back-marker so expect her to be trailing most of these on settling. If she can score a clean run to the line, she will be finishing strongly and if close enough, can grab victory here today.