Overview
Aliquam has run five times at the Sunshine Coast and hit the frame in every one of them, and on Sunday carries just 116.8kg in the Civil Scapes Hcp. That is the single best piece of course form on this seven-race Caloundra card, and it is where these Sunshine Coast racing tips start and finish.
The rest of the day is a mix of maidens, two Benchmark 58s and a couple of Class races, run on a Good to Soft turf track. Only the first two races had a live market from the site’s bookmakers at the time of writing, so later prices are left out rather than guessed. Ben Thompson has six rides and the strongest riding record here by a distance, Jack Bruce brings the best training numbers, and there are a few lightly raced types in the back half that the market has yet to price. Read on for a view on every race, the quaddie angle and where the money goes.
Sunshine Coast: the setup
A soft-leaning track and a lot of short fields once the scratchings come out. Race 7 has lost six runners and Race 4 five, so the back half is tighter than the original numbers suggest. Plenty of the course form is thin, but a handful of runners have three or more starts here, and that group tells you something.
Horses with three or more Sunshine Coast starts
| Horse | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aliquam | 5 | 2 | 5 | 40% | 100% |
| Akira San | 3 | 1 | 3 | – | – |
| Cryptic Beauty | 3 | 1 | 3 | – | – |
| Problematical | 3 | 1 | 3 | – | – |
| Dazzling Diamond | 3 | 0 | 3 | – | – |
| Believe In Angels | 3 | 1 | 2 | – | – |
| Sir Maurice | 3 | 0 | 2 | – | – |
| Missile Away | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0% | 38% |
Jockeys (five or more rides here)
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jai Williams | 7 | 2 | 4 | 29% | 57% |
| Ben Thompson | 163 | 42 | 90 | 26% | 55% |
| M Rodd | 92 | 22 | 50 | 24% | 54% |
| D Moor | 79 | 10 | 40 | 13% | 51% |
| B Lerena | 55 | 6 | 27 | 11% | 49% |
| Angela Jones | 26 | 5 | 12 | 19% | 46% |
| Ryan Maloney | 56 | 8 | 25 | 14% | 45% |
Trainers
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Places | Win% | Place% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Bruce | 113 | 27 | 66 | 24% | 58% |
| Chris Anderson | 39 | 4 | 22 | 10% | 56% |
| Renita Beaton | 34 | 9 | 19 | 26% | 56% |
| T J Gollan | 57 | 10 | 29 | 18% | 51% |
| J W Healy | 68 | 15 | 32 | 22% | 47% |
| David Vandyke | 54 | 11 | 23 | 20% | 43% |
Two things jump off those tables. Ben Thompson wins a quarter of all rides here over a big sample, and when Thompson rides for Jack Bruce at this track the pair have won eight of 27 and placed in 18. Jai Williams has the best strike rate, but on seven rides it is a small window.
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Sunshine Coast race-by-race
Race 1: Rafter Myers Mdn Plate, 1:05PM, 1094m
Donna Stanbridge has half of this two-year-old field, and the market has already decided which of the three it wants. Better Be Done is $1.50 with Unibet, and the case is simple: a second at the first start, then a seventh, and $17,400 in prizemoney from those two runs says the second came in a decent race. Ben Thompson takes the ride, which matters at a track where Thompson wins a quarter of the time. Stanbridge has won with four of 16 starters here.
The worry is the last run. A seventh is a seventh, and at $1.50 you are paying for the first start, not the second. Swim Up Bar is the unknown, a James Moore debutant at $8.50 with Bet Right with B Lerena aboard and the top weight of 127.8kg. Stablemate Dip With The Hip ($4.80, Bet Right) was sixth on debut and needs a big step.
Better Be Done is the right horse, the wrong price for a straight bet. Use this one as a multi leg rather than a win bet on her own.
Race 2: Property Lane Plate (C1), 1:40PM, 1969m
Is there anything in this field that can beat a horse with three placings from three Sunshine Coast starts, coming off a win? Probably not. Akira San won last start, and a form line of 2-9-4-2-3-1 shows a horse that rarely runs a bad one: one win and three placings from four runs in the last 90 days. G Geran rides for Corey and Kylie Geran, so this is a family operation with a horse that knows the track.
Akira San is $1.85 with Unibet. Chance de Lune is the obvious danger at $4.40 with Bet Right, with a win in the recent sequence, but the last start was an eighth and there are no placings from two tries here. Missile Away is the course regular with eight starts at the track, three placings and no wins: a horse that runs on but rarely finishes it off. $8.00 with Bet Right is about right.
Crunch Time is scratched, leaving five. Akira San is the banker of the day. Win bet, and the first leg of any multi.
Race 3: Mib Metsure Insurance Mdn Plate, 2:15PM, 1531m
A maiden where nobody has proved much, and three scratchings (Flying Poppi, Mysticise and Koban) have thinned out the middle of the market. Tivacious ran fourth at the only start so far and gets M Rodd, who rides at a 24% strike rate here, for J W Healy, whose 15 wins from 68 Sunshine Coast runners are among the best numbers on the card. The step up to 1531m on a second-up run is the right progression for a horse that ran on.
The danger is the debutant Hot’n’smart from David Vandyke, who has won 11 races here. Ben Thompson riding a first starter for that stable is worth noticing, even from barrier 13. Martindale Kid was fourth on debut too and has had one look at the track.
No market at the time of writing. Small win bet on Tivacious if the market opens at a fair price; otherwise a watch race.
Race 4: Kimberley Kampers (Bm58), 2:50PM, 1094m
Five scratchings leave six, and the race shape looks straightforward. Conformity has had two starts at the track for a win and a second, and a form line of 1-2-2-2-5-4 shows a horse that was in the money for four straight starts before two quieter runs. Angela Jones rides, and the T J Gollan stable has won ten races here.
Zoureka is the one to fear. A win two starts back, then a sixth, and Ben Thompson stays aboard for Chris and Corey Munce with only 126.7kg. Blue White Blue placed in both runs here and won five starts back, without saluting since. Jai Williams on Wax On Wax Off gives that one more appeal than the recent figures suggest.
No live price yet. Win bet on Conformity, with Zoureka in the exacta.
Race 5: Change Exchange (Bm58), 3:30PM, 1531m
The contrast here is between a lightweight course placegetter and a horse in form everywhere else. Dazzling Diamond has three starts at the Sunshine Coast and placed in all three, and gets in with 117.9kg and Kayla Johnston. The last run was a third, following a ninth, so this is not a horse winning out of turn, but at this track it keeps finishing in the first three.
Water Lad is the other profile, with two wins from eight starts in the last 90 days and five placings. Jett Newman rides at 125.6kg for James Moore. The last run was a fifth, which is why this is not the top pick, but no runner in the field has won more often lately. Golden Loom ran second last time for the Gerans and is the third horse to consider. Sir Maurice has placed twice from three here for Jack Bruce, but carries 131.1kg.
No market yet. Each-way on Dazzling Diamond, with a saver on Water Lad.
Race 6: Civil Scapes Hcp (C2), 4:05PM, 1312m
Aliquam is the best bet on the card, and the reasons stack up. Five starts at the Sunshine Coast, two wins and five placings, an average finishing position of 1.8. The recent form reads 4-1-2-1-2-3, in the frame in five of the last six, and the weight is just 116.8kg with Kayla Johnston aboard. L F Birchley and Johnston have teamed up 11 times here for two wins and six placings. This is a horse that knows exactly how to get around this track.
Cryptic Beauty is the danger, a winner last start with three placings from three at the track, and Jack Bruce has the best training record here. The catch is barrier 10 and 131.1kg, 14 kilos more than Aliquam. Stylish Diamond also won last start and placed in both recent runs, but Adam Sewell has not ridden a winner from 28 rides at the course. Dark Arts placed in four of five recent runs without winning, and Ben Thompson rides from barrier 1, so expect that one to be handy.
Win bet on Aliquam, and the anchor for the quaddie.
Race 7: TJ Electrical Hcp (C1), 4:45PM, 1094m
Six scratchings have turned a 15-horse race into a much more readable one, and the market problem is that nobody has priced it yet. Not Telling is the pick. The last four runs read 4-4-2-1, heading the right way, and the most recent was a win, the only start in the last 90 days. Dan McGillivray rides for Paul Butterworth.
Galavino is the lightly raced danger and the value play: a win and a second from just two starts, and Ryan Maloney rides at 130kg. Problematical has three placings from three here, including a win, and M Rodd rides, but the last run was a fourth. Shadwell Lane gives Ben Thompson and Jack Bruce one more go on the card, though the last two runs were a fourth and a fifth.
Win bet on Not Telling, with Galavino as the each-way saver when the market opens.
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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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Where the money goes
NAP: Aliquam (Race 6, 4:05PM). Five runs at this track, five placings, two wins, and the lightest weight in the race. Hard to find a stronger course profile anywhere on the card.
Value: Galavino (Race 7, 4:45PM). Two starts, a win and a second, and the market has yet to open. If the price comes up bigger than the form says, take it.
Banker: Akira San (Race 2, 1:40PM). $1.85 with Unibet. Won last start and has finished in the first three at all three Sunshine Coast runs.
Each-way: Dazzling Diamond (Race 5, 3:30PM). Placed in all three Sunshine Coast starts and drops to 117.9kg.
Course angle: Ben Thompson for Jack Bruce. Eight wins and 18 placings from 27 rides together here. Their one combination today is Shadwell Lane in Race 7, and any time it appears on a Sunshine Coast card it deserves a look.
The quaddie runs Races 4 to 7. Conformity and Aliquam are the anchors; spread in Races 5 and 7.
If Aliquam lands this one, the Birchley stable will have the horse every Class 2 field at Caloundra has to plan around.
Sunshine Coast racing FAQ
What time does racing start at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday?
Race 1, the Rafter Myers Mdn Plate over 1094m, jumps at 1:05PM. The last, the TJ Electrical Hcp (C1), is at 4:45PM.
Who are the leading jockeys and trainers at the Sunshine Coast?
Ben Thompson has won 42 races from 163 rides here and places 55% of the time, with six rides today. M Rodd has 22 wins from 92 rides. Among trainers, Jack Bruce has won 27 races from 113 runners at the track.
What are the best bets at the Sunshine Coast today?
Aliquam in Race 6 is the NAP, with Akira San in Race 2 the banker and Dazzling Diamond the each-way play in Race 5.
Where can I find the best odds for Sunshine Coast races?
Check the bookmaker table above and the racecard for each race. At the time of writing, Unibet was best on Better Be Done ($1.50) and Akira San ($1.85), and Bet Right led the market on most of the rest of Races 1 and 2.
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