Overview
Divine Justice has won its last two starts, and on Saturday it gets Benjamin Osmond, the jockey with the best strike rate among the regular Gold Coast riders, for a Class 4 over 1400m. That booking, on a horse that has won at Ipswich and the Sunshine Coast in the past five weeks, is the strongest single thread on the card and the reason Race 7 is where our biggest bet of the day sits.
The rest of the meeting is a mixed bag: three maidens to open, a Jericho Cup heat over 3200m, a Benchmark 65 over 1800m with two in-form stayers, and four shorter races to close. The track is rated soft. These Gold Coast racing tips work through all nine races from the 12:09PM maiden to the 5:25PM last, with a pick, a danger and a staking call for each, then a short list of where the money goes. No bookmaker had a market up on any race when this was written, so there are no prices quoted below.
Gold Coast, the setup
There is a fair amount of track form among Saturday’s runners. Fifteen of the horses still in their races have had three or more starts here, and the jockey and trainer samples are deep enough to lean on. The figures below count every start at the Gold Coast in our records.
Horses with three or more Gold Coast starts
| Horse | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ode To Beauty | 8 | 2 | 3 | 25.0 | 37.5 |
| Contreras | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 14.3 |
| Tribbiani | 6 | 1 | 4 | 16.7 | 66.7 |
| Papal Miss | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 16.7 |
| Smelter | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Chilliwack | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 40.0 |
| Eagle’s Fire | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 75.0 |
| Cautionary Tail | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 25.0 |
| Shapin Power | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 25.0 |
| Quein Step | 3 | 1 | 3 | 33.3 | 100.0 |
| Jungle Law | 3 | 1 | 2 | 33.3 | 66.7 |
| Irish Handcuffs | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 66.7 |
| Extreme Spirit | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 66.7 |
| Prime Asset | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 33.3 |
| Waverley | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 33.3 |
Jockeys (5+ rides at the Gold Coast)
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiona Sandkuhl | 19 | 3 | 12 | 15.8 | 63.2 |
| Stacey Callow | 8 | 2 | 4 | 25.0 | 50.0 |
| R Wiggins | 27 | 4 | 13 | 14.8 | 48.1 |
| Jasper Franklin | 42 | 7 | 20 | 16.7 | 47.6 |
| Anthony Allen | 41 | 7 | 18 | 17.1 | 43.9 |
| Mckenzie Apel | 73 | 9 | 31 | 12.3 | 42.5 |
| Benjamin Osmond | 71 | 14 | 30 | 19.7 | 42.3 |
| B Lerena | 119 | 16 | 47 | 13.4 | 39.5 |
| D Peisley | 99 | 9 | 36 | 9.1 | 36.4 |
Trainers (20+ runners at the Gold Coast)
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P L Shailer | 40 | 9 | 23 | 22.5 | 57.5 |
| C Maher | 39 | 11 | 21 | 28.2 | 53.8 |
| Matthew Hoysted | 36 | 3 | 19 | 8.3 | 52.8 |
| Michael Freedman | 50 | 6 | 24 | 12.0 | 48.0 |
| Jeff Dunn | 23 | 4 | 11 | 17.4 | 47.8 |
| T J Gollan | 153 | 25 | 70 | 16.3 | 45.8 |
| Jack Bruce | 47 | 8 | 21 | 17.0 | 44.7 |
| Tony & Maddysen Sears | 83 | 15 | 35 | 18.1 | 42.2 |
| K A Lees | 52 | 10 | 21 | 19.2 | 40.4 |
Two things stand out. C Maher wins with more than a quarter of the runners he brings here, and P L Shailer gets almost six in ten into the placings. Shailer has five runners on Saturday, and his partnership with D Peisley is the best repeatable angle on the card: 13 placings, 5 of them wins, from 21 rides together at this track.
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Gold Coast race by race
Race 1: Angus Flexible Pipelines Australia Mdn Plate, 12:09PM, 1000m
Bar Star is the pick. It ran second on its only start, draws barrier 5 for K H Zechner and Adam Campton, and in a 1000m maiden full of first starters that bit of experience counts for plenty. Campton has 13 Gold Coast winners from 95 runners, which is a solid base for a stable sending out a 3yo with a placing already on the board.
The danger is Shotpoint, another debut runner-up, who gets 2kg less at 56kg for S J Morrisey. If it jumps cleanly from barrier 10 and finds the rail, that weight edge could matter late. Rainbow Charlie has three runs and has placed twice, so it should be thereabouts too. Win bet on Bar Star, small exacta with Shotpoint.
Race 2: Powered By Next Level Racing Mdn Hcp, 12:49PM, 1400m
Can a debut second here turn into a win two weeks later? The Grey One ran second in a Gold Coast maiden over 1200m on 17 October on soft ground, the same surface it gets on Saturday, and steps up to 1400m with Jasper Franklin retained. Franklin gets almost half his rides here into the placings, and Michael Freedman‘s runners place at a similar rate. A 3yo with 57.5kg on its back and barrier 5 should get every chance.
Worthy Stunnah is the most exposed form horse in the race, second at Warwick and third at Ipswich in its last two completed runs, and B Lerena jumps from the inside gate. It carries topweight of 59.5kg, which is why it sits second in our order. Irish Handcuffs has placed twice from three runs here and is the each-way roughie. Win bet on The Grey One.
Race 3: Carpet Call Mdn Hcp, 1:29PM, 1400m
Symbolise ran second at this track and trip on 10 October, having been well beaten at Lismore before that. It goes for T J Gollan, who has trained more Gold Coast winners than anyone on Saturday’s card, 25 from 153 runners. Barrier 4 gives Chelsea Baker the chance to sit handy.
The one to beat it is Credibility. It has placed in three of its last five, gets Osmond for K A Lees, and that pair has 7 placings, 3 of them wins, from 14 rides together here. The catch is barrier 13 and 59kg, which makes it hard to get a soft run. Cautionary Tail places often but rarely wins and is only for exotics. Win on Symbolise, saver on Credibility.
Race 4: Pipe Dreams & Photo Finishes Jericho Cup – Heat (Bm70), 2:09PM, 3200m
Trusty Bandit and Ayasaki met over about 2400m at Eagle Farm on 14 October. Trusty Bandit won that race and Ayasaki finished fifth. That is the clearest form line in an eight-horse staying race, and it points one way.
Trusty Bandit has had nine starts in the past 90 days for four placings, three of them wins, the busiest and best record in the field. It won at Kilcoy with B Lerena on top on 6 October, and Lerena is back aboard. Last start it was seventh on a heavy track at Eagle Farm over 2200m, which is a forgivable run given the conditions. The step to 3200m is new, but its two wins this spring both came at 1900m or further.
Ayasaki is the danger. It was second at Doomben and second at Eagle Farm at staying trips in September and gets 1.5kg less than Trusty Bandit at 54.5kg, with Osmond riding. Miss Dynamo won over 2245m at the Sunshine Coast early this month and draws the rail. Win bet on Trusty Bandit.
Race 5: LJ Building Construction (Bm65), 2:49PM, 1800m
Two horses with two straight wins, two different profiles. The Torque Factor has won twice at Ipswich in October over about 1650m, both times with Yvette Lewis, and she keeps the ride. It started odds-on last time and won. King Emperor has also won its last two, at Ipswich and then at the Sunshine Coast over 1600m on 9 October, and its 90-day record reads two wins from three starts.
We side with The Torque Factor. It has the stronger recent volume, five starts in 90 days for four placings, two of them wins, it gets the same rider who won on it twice, and barrier 3 lets it lob in. King Emperor has a rider change, Jasper Franklin in for the jockey who won on it twice, and gets 1kg less at 59.5kg. That is enough to keep it in everything. The Catch has 60.5kg and a wide gate. Win on The Torque Factor, quinella with King Emperor.
Race 6: Tate Brownlee Real Estate Hcp (C4), 3:30PM, 1000m
Quein Step has placed in all three of its Gold Coast starts, winning one, and its last three runs read win, second, second, all at 1000m. Two of those came here. It gets 52kg in a Class 4 sprint with Mckenzie Apel riding for C Maher, the trainer who wins with more than one in four of his runners at this track. Barrier 2 means no excuses.
This is the safest horse on the card and the one we would put into multis.
Eagle’s Fire is the threat. It won at Ipswich at its last start, has placed in three of its four runs here, and gets 53kg with Fiona Sandkuhl, who places on almost two-thirds of her Gold Coast rides. Miss Mclaren won its only start here and won at Ipswich over 800m on 8 October. Win bet on Quein Step, exacta with Eagle’s Fire.
Race 7: Mane Frame Powered By Works Hcp (C4), 4:09PM, 1400m
This is the best bet of the day. Divine Justice won at the Sunshine Coast over 1400m on 25 September and then at Ipswich over 1350m on 15 October, and it was third at this track over 1400m before that. Five starts in 90 days have produced three placings, two of them wins.
The booking tells you what Jack Bruce thinks. Osmond has the best strike rate among the riders with real volume here, 14 wins from 71 rides, and Bruce wins with 17 percent of his Gold Coast runners. Barrier 4 and 57kg are both fine, and the race lacks another horse in the same form. Outakandy and Swifties have no rider listed on the card and look unlikely to start.
Vacillation is the danger. It was second over 1400m here on 3 October and has a placing from its two Gold Coast starts, with Adin Thompson riding. It needs luck from barrier 9. Win bet on Divine Justice, the biggest stake of the day.
Race 8: 2027 Suns Corporate Hospitality Hcp (58), 4:50PM, 1200m
Hard to have a confident view in a 13-runner Benchmark 58. Ode To Beauty has had eight runs at the Gold Coast for three placings, two of them wins, and it ran second here at a big price on 17 October over 1000m on soft ground. Barrier 16 is a worry, but Matthew Palmer has ridden it in each of its last four and MS H Page‘s runners place more than half the time here.
Australasia won at Warwick at its last start and drew wider still in 17, which makes it the danger only if it can cross. Extreme Spirit has run third twice here in its last two and gets barrier 4. Each-way on Ode To Beauty; this is not a race for a big win bet.
Race 9: Vale Bob Mcharg (Bm65), 5:25PM, 1200m
Il Fratello won at Grafton over 1200m on 13 October, both its runs in the past 90 days have been in the placings, one of them a win, and it gets 58.5kg from barrier 6. The Shailer stable has two in the race, Il Fratello and Certify, and the card lists D Peisley on both, so one booking will change. Il Fratello is the one we would want him on.
The market problem is Hellarious. It has won both its starts here and gets only 55.5kg, but it was fifth at Doomben on 17 October and comes from barrier 16. If punters lean on that last run, it will be bigger than it should be. Impact Zone won at Ipswich on Friday and backs up quickly, which is the one query on a horse that is otherwise in form. Win on Il Fratello, small each-way on Hellarious.
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Where the money goes
NAP: Divine Justice (Race 7, 4:09PM). Two wins in a row, the leading strike-rate rider at the track, and a stable that wins with one in six here. Nothing else in the race is in the same form.
Value: Hellarious (Race 9, 5:25PM). Two from two at the Gold Coast with a light weight, and a soft fifth at Doomben might push it out in betting. No market was open when this was written.
Banker: Quein Step (Race 6, 3:30PM). Placed in all three starts here, including a win, 52kg, and a trainer with eleven Gold Coast winners from 39 runners.
Each-way: Ode To Beauty (Race 8, 4:50PM). Eight runs here for two wins, and a second at the track last start. The draw stops it being a win bet.
Course angle: P L Shailer and D Peisley. The pair have 13 placings, 5 of them wins, from 21 rides together here, and the stable has Coastal Boom, Yukon Ready, Isti Star, Certify and Il Fratello on Saturday.
If Osmond rides Divine Justice home, expect Bruce to keep booking him for every Gold Coast runner he has through summer.
Gold Coast racing FAQ
What time does racing start at the Gold Coast today?
The first race, the Angus Flexible Pipelines Australia Mdn Plate over 1000m, jumps at 12:09PM AEDT. The last, the Vale Bob Mcharg Benchmark 65 over 1200m, is at 5:25PM AEDT.
Who are the top trainers and jockeys at the Gold Coast?
T J Gollan has the most Gold Coast winners among Saturday’s trainers, 25 from 153 runners, while C Maher has the best strike rate of the trainers with volume at 11 from 39. B Lerena has ridden the most winners here, 16 from 119, and Benjamin Osmond has the best strike rate of the regular riders with 14 from 71.
What are the best bets at the Gold Coast today?
Our best Gold Coast bet is Divine Justice in Race 7, a last-start winner at Ipswich now ridden by Osmond. Quein Step in Race 6 is the banker after placing in all three of its runs here, and Hellarious in Race 9 is the value with two wins from two at the track.
Where can I find the best Gold Coast odds?
No bookmaker had a Gold Coast market open when this was written. Check the bookmakers listed above once the races are priced, and compare the Gold Coast odds before you bet.
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