Ascot Racing Tips 4 April 2026 — can So Si God boss them again?
Penola Racing Tips 5 April 2026 — can Redwinelover keep rolling?
Penola Racing Tips 5 April 2026 — can Redwinelover keep rolling?
There are cards where you spend all morning trying to be clever, and there are cards where one horse keeps dragging you back to the obvious. Redwinelover is that horse at Penola today. The recent form line reads like a runner who has finally found the right level and is thriving in it, and the setup of the opener gives him every chance to keep the momentum going.
It is a compact Penola meeting on turf with four races, and it looks like the sort of day where barrier, intent and simple race shape matter as much as anything. In other words, if you can work out who controls the speed, you are halfway to the answer. These Penola racing tips lean into that, with clear bets where the profile stacks up and a couple of races where I would rather keep the wallet in the pocket than force it.
Penola — the setup
We do not get a lot of deep course history across today’s fields. Most runners either have no Penola evidence or only one or two data points here, so I am not going to pretend the track stats are some magic key. Where the local numbers do matter, they are in the saddle: a few riders have enough volume at this course to be taken seriously.
Ladbrokes Review [Updated March 2026] | Ladbrokes.com.au Pros & Cons
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- Mates Mode
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS S Metcalfe | 4 | 2 | 3 | 50% | 75% |
| Rochelle Milnes | 4 | 2 | 3 | 50% | 75% |
| Campbell Rawiller | 4 | 2 | 2 | 50% | 50% |
| Sairyn Fawke | 6 | 1 | 4 | 16.67% | 66.67% |
Worth keeping in mind: Kayla Crowther has had four rides here without a winner but has still landed two placings, so she is not losing her way around the track. And while the Murphy stable has two runners later, the yard’s Penola record on the numbers we have is only two runners for no placings, which is more “small sample, no edge” than a reason to take a short price.
Race-by-race
Race 1: Tdc Livestock & Property (Bm68) — 11:55, 1176
Redwinelover is the starting point for me and I am happy to build the race around him. That form line of 61-113 says he has been doing the right thing for a while now, and he gets a practical setup: gate 3, a manageable weight (119.0) and a field where a couple of rivals either need the run or have something to prove late in their races.
The interesting part is the speed map. Gamadale Indi draws 1 and Chipson draws 5 carrying 135.5, so you can see scenarios where they both want a spot close enough to control the tempo. If they overdo it early, Redwinelover becomes the stalker who gets last crack. If they do not, he still has the barrier to be right there without burning fuel.
The danger is Smashing Action (draw 2). He is the model of consistency on paper with 319244 and he does not need to improve much to win one of these. I just prefer the recent winning habit of Redwinelover over the “always there” profile.
Play: Win bet Redwinelover. Quinella saver with Smashing Action if you want insurance.
Race 2: Sportsbet Same Race Multi Mdn Plate — 12:30, 2187
Here is the puzzle: who actually wants 2187 metres, and who is only here because the shorter races have not worked out? I land with Lillikins as the runner most likely to get the race run to suit. Barrier 1 matters over this trip because it lets Brooke King ride a patient, economical race, and Lillikins has been around the mark often enough (785434) that a staying maiden can fall his way with the right map.
The 90-day snapshot backs up the “close enough often enough” angle: five runs in the period for three placings and an average finishing position around the low threes. He has not won, but he keeps turning up and that is half the battle in these.
Fear No One is the danger if you believe in the upside. Carly Cook’s runner has only one start in the last 90 days (finished fifth), so you are betting on improvement rather than banked reliability, but D Tourneur is a positive booking for a staying maiden because he generally rides these races with intent.
I am against making this a confident betting race without prices, because plenty of these have form that can be read two different ways. Still, if you are playing, you want the inside draw and a horse who keeps landing in the mix.
Play: Each-way Lillikins (or win-only if the market lets you). Keep it small.
Race 3: Barry Maney Ford Mdn Plate — 13:05, 1531
The market usually tries to bully you into “next start” horses in these races, but I would rather take the runner whose form says he is already competitive at the trip. Iron Stupa looks the one you can trust to take a position from gate 1 and give you a sight. That matters at Penola when you do not want to be giving away ground and hoping for favours.
He has been finishing close enough often enough (69-265) and Connor Murtagh sticking is a nice continuity signal. From a punting point of view, the “inside gate, consistent enough, right distance” profile is usually what you want to anchor to in a mid-card maiden.
The danger is Global Outcast, because the last couple of runs hint at a turn (6-9043) and he gets in light at 116.8 with Alysha Warren. His recent record across the last 90 days shows four runs for two placings, so if he repeats that last-start effort, he is live.
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18+ T&C’s Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
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Play: Win bet Iron Stupa with a saver exacta Iron Stupa over Global Outcast.
Race 4: Adrian Thomas Industrial Mdn Plate — 13:40, 1531
This is the contrast race: Hellish Lee brings the “I have been in the fight a while” profile, while a couple of others are either lightly exposed or have not shown much yet. I would rather side with the horse who has proven he can hold form through a prep. Hellish Lee’s form line (44364) says he keeps turning up, and from barrier 1 Rochelle Milnes can make the race simple and make others come around them.
Milnes is also one of the riders who tends to make Penola work for her, with four rides here for two wins and three placings. That is still not a massive sample, but it is enough to treat her as a positive at this venue rather than a neutral.
The danger is Petit Eagle. Sarah Rutten is the most relevant “course trainer” on volume among the stables engaged today, with seven runners here historically for four placings. Petit Eagle’s form (35-737) fits the runner who can lob in the first half and keep kicking. If Hellish Lee gets softened up in front, Petit Eagle is the one I can see wearing him down.
I have less appetite for big staking here because there are plenty of runners with unknown ceilings, but the map and gate lean toward the inside drawn chances.
Play: Win bet Hellish Lee, small. Quinella with Petit Eagle if you want a second bullet.
The plays
If you are looking for Penola best bets rather than a shopping list, keep it tight. Redwinelover is the one I want to be with: he is in form, drawn to get every favour, and his last few runs have the look of a horse who knows how to win at this level. That is my NAP.
The value angle, if the market lets you, sits in the two maidens where reliability gets under-bet. Lillikins from gate 1 over 2187 metres is the kind of horse that gets ignored because he has not won, but he keeps giving you a run and today’s setup gives him a chance to finally land it.
For multis, the banker is still Redwinelover. I would rather anchor a ticket with a horse who has been winning than ask a maiden to suddenly find killer instinct. The each-way play is Lillikins because he is the safest “place chance” on recent consistency even if he does not have the best turn of foot.
One course angle to carry forward: when you see Rochelle Milnes draw inside at Penola on a horse with any kind of forward pattern, you take it seriously next time too, because she rides this track like she expects to win, not like she hopes to.
FAQ
What time does racing start at Penola today?
Penola kicks off at 11:55 with the Tdc Livestock & Property (Bm68) over 1176m.
Who are the top jockeys at Penola on today’s numbers?
On course history from the riders engaged today, MS S Metcalfe and Rochelle Milnes both have 4 rides for 2 wins and 3 placings at Penola. Campbell Rawiller also has 4 rides for 2 wins here. That is enough volume to treat their local record as meaningful.
What are the best bets at Penola today?
My Penola racing tips centre on Redwinelover in Race 1 (11:55). The back-up each-way play is Lillikins in Race 2 (12:30) from barrier 1 over the staying trip.
Where can I find the best odds for Penola races?
The easiest way is to compare Penola odds across bookmakers before you bet. Odds were not available from the feed used for this preview, so check your usual bookies closer to jump and look for price movement around Redwinelover (Race 1) and Lillikins (Race 2).
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