Townsville Preview & Best Bets – Friday January 13
Townsville Tips 13/01/2023
Our form expert provides Townsville tips for today’s horse racing at Townsville Racecourse and gives his best bets.
BEST BET 🏆
Race 7: No.1 PICTON ($3.40 with Palmerbet)
The Stephen Bush-trained PICTON is in career-best form this preparation and looks well placed here to bring up the hat-trick today. Last start, the Domesday gelding brought up win number six when he led from barrier to box in a BM0-58, here over 1400m. With local rider Frank Edwards aboard, he ran them off their legs as he crossed the line in front of the 10-strong field. Edwards sticks with him today and with plenty of early pace here, he maps to settle just behind them today from gate four. Although new to the area, trainer Stephen Bush has notched-up ten winners in the north already and this fellow is one of his best stable residents. With a trouble-free run today, Frankie (Edwards) can steer the six-year-old home to record his seventh career win today.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 8: No.11 WANNA TWEET ($4.60 with bet365)
Local galloper, WANNA TWEET, has been ever-consistent this time in securing five podium finishes from her past eight starts and today, looks a solid gold chance of making four home-track wins today. Last start, the Wandjina mare drew the car park (gate 11 of 11) and came from well back to beat all but one home in a BM65 Hcp, here over 1000m. She stormed home, only to be beaten a head on the line. She ran her last 600m, 5.5 lengths quicker than benchmark, the best in this line-up. She also posted the fastest final 800m to 200m sectionals for the race. Finally drawing a decent gate, she maps to settle better than midfield from gate six and today should be close enough to them to lay down a serious challenge in the run home. Its very rare that (Lethal) Lacey Morrison leaves Cluden Park without riding a winner and today, this mare looks the goods with Lacey in the saddle.
BEST VALUE 💰
Race 3: No.1 FODOR ($4.60 with Palmerbet)
The Steve Massingham-trained FODOR hasn’t put a foot wrong since transferring from the Chris Munce stables down south and looks every chance here of making his Cluden Park debut a winning one. Last start, the Heroic Valour gelding was shooting for the hat-trick but fell short when finishing third in a Three-Year-Old Hcp over 940m on his home track in Cairns. Artie’s Lad (who was on debut), beat him home by half a length that day but he meets him 2kgs better at the weights here. Regular stable rider, Nathan Day, retains the ride and the 1000m trip looks ideal for his track debut and he should give us a bold sight.