Overview
Beneath The Rock has finished in the first three at all four of its starts over the past year, winning two of them, and it draws barrier one in the Metro Petroleum to close the night. Kris Lees also runs Antilopini in that race, so the stable has two cracks at the last.
That is where these Canterbury racing tips start, but there is plenty before it. Eight races go from 6:00PM to 9:30PM on a track rated Good, with maidens up front and four Benchmark 72 and 78 handicaps to finish. Tim Clark is the rider to follow: he has won on 13 of his 41 rides here and placed on nearly two thirds of them. Read on for a pick in every race, the course numbers that matter and where we would put the money. Bookmaker markets were not up when this was written, so there are no prices quoted below.
Reading the Canterbury card
Canterbury is a tight, turning track, and on a Friday night the riders who know it tend to keep finding the frame. Limited course form across today’s fields: most runners have one or two starts here, and only Rileycat has been around more than twice, for a single placing from three. The jockey and trainer ranks are where the real track evidence sits.
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Clark | 41 | 13 | 26 | 31.7 | 63.4 |
| J B McDonald | 49 | 10 | 30 | 20.4 | 61.2 |
| K McEvoy | 20 | 3 | 11 | 15.0 | 55.0 |
| Tommy Berry | 54 | 9 | 25 | 16.7 | 46.3 |
| N Rawiller | 34 | 9 | 15 | 26.5 | 44.1 |
| Siena Grima | 50 | 4 | 22 | 8.0 | 44.0 |
The trainers’ list has a few small stables punching above their weight. M Price and M Kent Jnr only bring the odd one here, but three of their seven have won. Ciaron Maher and the G Waterhouse and A Bott yard are the volume operations with strike rates that hold up.
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M Price & M Kent Jnr | 7 | 3 | 5 | 42.9 | 71.4 |
| Michael Freedman | 12 | 4 | 7 | 33.3 | 58.3 |
| C Maher | 19 | 5 | 11 | 26.3 | 57.9 |
| R & L Price | 9 | 3 | 5 | 33.3 | 55.6 |
| G Waterhouse & A Bott | 65 | 18 | 35 | 27.7 | 53.8 |
| Matthew Smith | 30 | 5 | 15 | 16.7 | 50.0 |
| C J Waller | 163 | 19 | 78 | 11.7 | 47.9 |
Chris Waller has the numbers through sheer volume, and his best results here come with James McDonald aboard: the pair have teamed up 36 times at Canterbury for seven wins and 23 placings. They are paired four times on tonight’s card.
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Canterbury race-by-race tips
Race 1: Schweppes Mdn Hcp, 6:00PM, 1203m
Water City has had two starts and run third in both, which in a three year old maiden over 1203m makes him the most reliable form line in the race. Ciaron Maher has won with five of his 19 Canterbury runners, and he has booked J B McDonald, who has placed on 30 of his 49 rides here. Barrier one gives McDonald every option: hold the fence, let the pace go and peel out at the top of the short straight.
The one to worry about is Bella Tatiana, a debutante from the M Price and M Kent Jnr stable, which has won with three of its seven runners here. First starters are always guesswork, but that stable does not waste a Friday night trip. Posh Pommery ran sixth on debut for C J Waller and should improve with Kerrin McEvoy on.
Win bet on Water City.
Race 2: Piccolo Me Mdn Hcp, 6:30PM, 1367m
Can anyone in this field beat a Waller horse that has already shown it can run a place? Zouvolt was second on debut, his only run so far, and gets Tim Clark, the most successful rider at this track among tonight’s jockeys. Clark wins about one in three here and hits the frame nearly two thirds of the time.
The worry is the draw. Zouvolt comes out of barrier eight, and Clark will need to find cover early. Waller also runs Gerroa (fifth on debut, Tommy Berry) and the unraced Esteemed, who gets James McDonald. That booking says the stable thinks something of the newcomer, and it is the danger. Divine Offering ran third at her only Canterbury start and is worth a look for the trifecta.
Zouvolt to win, with a saver on Esteemed.
Race 3: Ooshman Mdn Plate, 7:00PM, 1695m
Markos Port keeps knocking on the door. Four runs in the past 90 days have produced three placings and no win, and the G Waterhouse and A Bott stable he represents wins with 18 of its 65 runners at Canterbury, a strike rate above one in four. Regan Bayliss rides, and the step to 1695m gives him the chance to wear down the maidens with less stamina.
He is at the top of the weights, and maidens that keep running second and third can frustrate. Ligularia (Joseph Pride, Kerrin McEvoy) was second three starts ago and offers a similar profile. Landing Gear was second on debut for Ciaron Maher before a sixth. The Waller trio of Almaaz, Miss Black Betty and Snitzel’s Girl have had their chances; the card has McDonald down for both fillies, so one of them needs a new rider.
Each-way on Markos Port. The place part is the safer side of the bet.
Race 4: Char’d Charcoal Chicken (Bm72), 7:30PM, 2078m
Two horses near the top of the weights, two different stories. Koolibah has run second and third at his two runs in the past 90 days and won twice in his last eight starts across the year, a staying horse in good order for C J Waller. James McDonald rides, and the McDonald and Waller numbers at this track are the best partnership angle on the night.
Valorous Power is the other side of the coin. He was second last start for Kris Lees and is entered in both this race and Race 5, so check which one he takes. If he lines up here with Dylan Gibbons, he is the main danger. Malbork Castle won two starts back and placed at his only Canterbury visit, but the last run was poor.
Win bet on Koolibah.
Race 5: Super Nash Bros (Bm72), 8:00PM, 1695m
Hard to have a confident view here. Me Me gets in light under Tyler Schiller, and her six runs in the past 90 days have produced a win and two other placings. R and L Price have won with three of their nine runners here, and they also run the eight year old Satness, who won once in seven runs over the same period.
Luskaire placed in her only Canterbury start but finished well back last time. If Valorous Power runs here instead of Race 4, he becomes the one to beat.
Small each-way on Me Me. A watch race for anything bigger.
Race 6: Kerbside (Bm78), 8:30PM, 1203m
Just Awesome comes into this off two straight wins, and three wins from six starts in the past year tells you the improvement is real. The four year old gets a big drop in weight from the top of the handicap and draws four. The market will lean on the established sprinters, but this is a horse still on the way up.
Action King also won last start and has won one and placed in another of his three runs in the past 90 days for Rob Potter. He ran ninth at his only Canterbury start, so he has something to prove on this track. Hezdarnhottoo carries the topweight and is the class runner, and Donwon has won one of his two starts here from a wide draw.
Win bet on Just Awesome, with Action King in the exacta.
Race 7: Kia Evening Star (Bm72), 9:00PM, 1367m
Sociable grinds; Zoucratic is on a roll. Sociable has placed in six of seven runs over the past year and won last time for Ciaron Maher, with Tim Clark aboard. That consistency is rare in a Benchmark 72. The catch is barrier 11, which forces Clark to make a decision early.
Zoucratic has won two of his last three and placed in all three, and he gets in a lot lighter than Sociable. If he draws a gap from barrier seven and the leaders go hard, he is the one who could pinch it. Easiest Choice has two wins from five runs this past year but draws the widest gate. Monte Veebee ran second in his only Canterbury start but has failed to place in three runs since August.
Sociable to win, with Zoucratic as the saver.
Race 8: Metro Petroleum (Bm72), 9:30PM, 1367m
Kris Lees has two in this, and the one we want is Beneath The Rock. Four starts over the past year have produced two wins and two placings, the last two runs read first and third, and barrier one at Canterbury is a gift for a horse who can hold a spot. William Stanley gets the ride.
The stable’s numbers here are the one concern. Lees has had one winner from 19 Canterbury runners, which is a poor return for a stable of that size. The horse’s own form outweighs that. Antilopini, the other Lees runner with Kerrin McEvoy on, has two wins from four runs in the past year and a placing in another and is the obvious danger. Manukau and Miss Scandal both won at their only Canterbury start, and Manukau‘s trainer Michael Freedman has won with four of his 12 runners here.
Win bet on Beneath The Rock, and box him with Antilopini in the exacta.
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Where the money goes
NAP: Beneath The Rock (Race 8, 9:30PM). Never out of the first three in a year of racing, and the inside gate removes the biggest risk at this track.
Value: Me Me (Race 5, 8:00PM). A weak Benchmark 72, a light weight, and a stable that wins with a third of its Canterbury runners. She will not be among the favourites.
Banker: Sociable (Race 7, 9:00PM). Six placings from seven starts in the past year is the kind of record you want in a multi.
Each-way: Markos Port (Race 3, 7:00PM). Three placings in four runs since August. He might not win, but he keeps finishing in the first three.
Course angle: Tim Clark at Canterbury. Thirteen wins from 41 rides and nearly two thirds placed, and he rides Zouvolt and Sociable tonight.
If Lees keeps placing horses like Beneath The Rock this well, the stable’s poor Canterbury record will not last long.
Canterbury racing tips FAQ
What time does racing start at Canterbury today?
Race 1, the Schweppes Mdn Hcp over 1203m, jumps at 6:00PM local time. The last, the Metro Petroleum (Bm72), is at 9:30PM.
Who are the top jockeys and trainers at Canterbury?
Among tonight’s riders, Tim Clark has the best Canterbury record, with 13 wins from 41 rides. J B McDonald has placed on 30 of his 49. Among trainers, G Waterhouse and A Bott have won with 18 of their 65 runners here, and C Maher with five of his 19.
What are the best bets at Canterbury today?
Beneath The Rock in Race 8 is the NAP. Sociable in Race 7 is the banker, and Water City in Race 1 has placed in both his starts.
Where can I find the best odds for Canterbury races?
Markets were not open when these Canterbury predictions were written. Compare the bookmakers listed above once they are up, and check the scratchings first: Valorous Power is entered in both Race 4 and Race 5.