Ipswich Racing Tips 26 March 2026 — can Cool Panels stay unbeaten here?
Hawkesbury Racing Tips 26 March — can Zac Lloyd ride the card?
Hawkesbury Racing Tips 26 March — can Zac Lloyd ride the card?
Zac Lloyd turning up at Hawkesbury is always a little warning flare for punters, and today he lands on a horse that looks like it has worn out its welcome in maiden grade. Lloyd rides nine times out of ten like he knows where the winning post is before the gates open, and at this track his numbers back that up: nine rides for two wins and he’s hit the frame eight times. That’s not a brag, that’s a pattern.
It’s a compact little Thursday meeting on the turf with four races in front of us, and the card has a very Hawkesbury feel: a couple of sticky 1750m affairs where positioning matters, then two 1200m maidens where you either find the right new horse or you donate to the bookies. These Hawkesbury racing tips are written for that exact problem: a clean opinion in each race, plus one clear “where the money goes” angle at the end.
Hawkesbury — the setup
We don’t have an official going description in the inputs, so I’m treating this as a standard Hawkesbury turf day where gate speed and saving ground still matter. The bigger theme from the course records is that genuine, repeatable “track specialist” angles are thin across today’s fields. Most of the horses with any Hawkesbury history have only one or two runs here, so I’m using course numbers more as a tie breaker than a cornerstone.
What I will lean on is who rides this place well. Lloyd is the standout profile: two wins from nine here and he’s in the placings almost every time. Tommy Berry also wins often enough here to matter, with two wins from seven rides.
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| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zac Lloyd | 9 | 2 | 8 | 22.22 | 88.89 |
| Tommy Berry | 7 | 2 | 2 | 28.57 | 28.57 |
| K S Latham | 15 | 1 | 6 | 6.67 | 40.00 |
Odds note: no bookmaker odds were available from the odds feed for this meeting at the time of writing, so these are price-agnostic Hawkesbury predictions. If you’re shopping the Hawkesbury odds closer to jump, the shape of my bets stays the same, but the “win vs each-way” line can change with price.
Race-by-race
Race 1: Independent Liquor Group Raceday Plate (C1) — 12:35, 1750m
Emerald Hills is the obvious horse I want to be with, and I’m happy saying that early because the profile is clean: two career runs for a win and a placing (form 3-1), and he gets in with 125.6 while a couple of older horses lump 130.0. At 1750m at Hawkesbury, that weight edge matters when the race turns into a proper squeeze from the 600m and you’re asking them to quicken twice.
I also like the practical part: barrier 3 gives him options. He can sit closer if they crawl, or take a trail if someone with more “race craft” wants to lead. In a Class 1, I’d rather be with the horse still improving than the ones whose form says they’ve had their chance.
The danger is Unavoidable (Louise Day for Matthew Smith). The form line is sparse but it’s a winning one (form 1/), and Smith has enough history here that a win from seven Hawkesbury runners isn’t a total accident. Gate 5 is fine, and if Unavoidable gets the first crack at them, Emerald Hills has to be good enough to go past.
Others: C’Mon Flyer draws 1 and that always buys you a ticket in this sort of race, but he’s backing up later in the day in the 1750m maiden as well and I prefer him when he lands a more suitable set-up.
Staking: Win bet Emerald Hills. Small saver on Unavoidable if the market is lopsided.
Race 2: Great Northern Cup Super Mdn Plate — 13:10, 1750m
This is the puzzle race, because a few of these have been living in maiden grade long enough to make you suspicious, and the one I keep coming back to is The Big Blue. He has the classic “nearly horse” form string (3222-3), but there’s a difference between a serial placegetter who can’t win and a horse who keeps running into one better. With Zac Lloyd booked, I’m leaning to the second explanation.
Lloyd’s Hawkesbury record is strong enough to trust (nine rides, eight placings), and the Lloyd plus O’Shea and Charlton combination at this track has already clicked recently: they’re one from one together at Hawkesbury, winning on 17 March with So d’Oro. That’s not a lifetime sample, but it does tell you this booking isn’t random.
The obvious threat is Crusader Voyage for Waller with Tommy Berry. He’s been around the mark (2220-3) and Berry is one of the few riders on the card who can make a mid-race move without panicking. If Crusader Voyage gets cover from gate 4 and The Big Blue is trapped wide from gate 9, it can flip quickly.
I’ll also keep a small side-eye on Heeza Steve from barrier 1. He has had one run at Hawkesbury and finished seventh, so no track angle, but he gets the right run map-wise and he’s the sort that can nick a place if the leaders overdo it.
Staking: The Big Blue to win. Exacta saver The Big Blue and Crusader Voyage if you play multiples.
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Race 3: Absolut & Sprite Rtds Mdn Hcp — 13:50, 1203m
I’m going to start with the market problem, even without prices: punters will gravitate to the big names in the jockey column, and that can leave a tough, fit horse underbet. Defiance is that horse for me. He’s had enough racing to know his job (form 350-), he carries 126.7 rather than the full 130.0, and he gets Tommy Berry, which is never a casual booking in these Hawkesbury maidens.
This looks like the type of 1200m maiden where you want to be in the first half of the field, not spotting them five lengths and praying. Barrier 4 gives Berry the chance to hold a spot and make it a sprint from the bend.
The danger is Unleash Harry (Tim Clark, gate 2). If he has any jump at all, he can control the inside and force Defiance to come around him. I can’t lean on recent 90-day results for Unleash Harry from the inputs, so it’s more a map-based danger than a stats one.
Of the rest, Poisonous draws 1 and that’s always relevant over this trip, and Bjorn Baker’s overall Hawkesbury record on limited numbers reads as more “place stable” than “win stable” here. Still, inside gate in a maiden keeps you honest.
Staking: Each-way Defiance. If the price collapses, downgrade to a place-only play.
Race 4: Jameson Ultra Dry & Lime 10% Rtd Mdn Hcp — 14:30, 1203m
The contrast race: one horse has the right rider and the right stable intent, another has the map and the experience edge. I’m siding with the intent. Balmoral Castle (C Maher, Zac Lloyd) gets the jockey I most want at this track, and Maher’s Hawkesbury numbers are ugly on paper but they’ve come from enough runners (ten) to respect. That can also mean the stable tends to place them ambitiously here and a maiden with Lloyd aboard feels like a “go and win it” move.
Barrier 9 isn’t ideal, so the bet is really on Lloyd’s ability to slot in without burning petrol. The upside is that if he gets any cover at all, he rides Hawkesbury like he can thread a needle late.
The horse I’m genuinely wary of is Plume (form 453) from gate 3 with Tyler Schiller. He’s had three runs in the last 90 days and has been around the mark often enough to say fitness and professionalism are on his side. Schiller has only three rides at Hawkesbury, so I’m not going to dress that up as a track angle, but he has won here before and he’s capable of riding a controlled race from a good gate.
One more to include in wider plays is Tigletta (Bjorn Baker, Rachel King). The form line reads honest without being scary (33-336), and she’s the type who can lob into the placings when others do something silly.
Staking: Win bet Balmoral Castle. Save on Plume if Balmoral drifts and Plume holds firm in the market.
Where the money goes
I’m building today around a simple Hawkesbury angle: ride quality matters here, and Zac Lloyd is the rider I want in the races that can be won by decision-making rather than raw talent. My NAP is The Big Blue in the 13:10. He has the kind of maiden form that keeps punters guessing, but Lloyd and O’Shea and Charlton have already landed a winner together at this track recently, and Lloyd’s overall Hawkesbury strike is backed up by a stack of placings.
The value play is Defiance each-way in the 13:50. It’s a maiden handicap, he gets in light enough, and Berry’s booking screams “we’re here to take a spot and run hard at the finish” rather than “trial for later.”
The banker for multis is Emerald Hills in the opener. Two starts for a win and a place is the profile you want in a Class 1, and the weight relief is real against the older 130.0kg topweights.
If you want a steadier place leg, Plume in the last appeals as the safe one from a good gate with race fitness in the bank.
Keep an eye on how Lloyd rides from wide gates today. If he keeps finding cover without spending petrol, it becomes a repeatable Hawkesbury edge for the next meeting too.
FAQ
What time does racing start at Hawkesbury today?
Hawkesbury gets underway at 12:35 with the Independent Liquor Group Raceday Plate (C1) over 1750m.
Who are the top jockeys at Hawkesbury on this card?
On the available Hawkesbury course records, Zac Lloyd is the standout: 9 rides for 2 wins and 8 placings at the track. Tommy Berry has also won 2 from 7 here, while K S Latham has the most volume in these fields with 15 rides at Hawkesbury.
What are the best bets at Hawkesbury today?
My Hawkesbury best bets are The Big Blue (Race 2, 13:10) to win, and Emerald Hills (Race 1, 12:35) to win. If you want an each-way play, Defiance (Race 3, 13:50) makes sense in a maiden handicap with Tommy Berry aboard.
Is there any course form worth following today?
There isn’t much deep “specialist” course form across today’s fields. For example, Circus Girl has one prior run at Hawkesbury and finished fourth, and Dance With Destiny has also had one run here and finished fourth. That’s a reference point, not a pattern, so I’ve weighted today’s selections more toward barriers, weights, and rider intent.
Where can I find the best Hawkesbury odds?
Shop around with the major bookmakers close to jump time, especially on the maidens (Races 3 and 4) where late money can matter. Odds weren’t available from the odds feed for this meeting at the time of writing, so treat these Hawkesbury racing tips as a form-first guide, then match your bet type to the price you can actually get.
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