Friday, 12 June 2026
Punty's Live Updates
LIVEHOT JOCKEY: Pierre Boudvillain — 3 winners from 7 races at Canberra Acton! The hot hand is real.
🏁 Canberra Acton update: 5 races done, had a squiz at the patterns — all square. Leaders and closers both getting their chance. Maps are on the money, stick with the reads 🎯
🏁 Canberra Acton track check: Punty's reviewed 3 races and the map reads are bang on. No adjustments needed — back yourself for the last 4 💪
Meeting Stats
Punty's Early Mail
For all of Punty's tips for Canberra Acton, head to https://punty.ai/tips/canberra-acton-2026-06-12
Rightio Loose Units, Canberra Acton on the synthetic and it's a proper mixed bag - a couple of bankers, a few drifters, and enough map traps to make a grown punter cry into his schooner. The rail is true, the weather's fine, and this place should play honest enough early - but on this surface, if you can't sit handy or you get buried, you're in the wrong film entirely.
MEET SNAPSHOT
Track: Canberra Acton, 1080m to 1900m card
Rail: True
Official going: Synthetic (expected to play fair-to-on-speed)
Weather: Fine, nil rain around - watch for no real weather excuses
Early lane guess: Inside-to-middle looks fine, but on-pace runners are still the ones with the golden ticket
Tempo profile: A couple of genuine speed races, a few slow grinders, and one or two maidens where the bunny will make the shape. Not a track for sitting back and daydreaming like it's The Sandman
Jockeys to follow:
Louise Day — riding a stack of the key chances and gets plenty of the right maps
Brodie Loy — has a proper book of live rides and can nick races when the tempo suits
Jean Van Overmeire — a handy synthetic hoop who keeps turning up in the right spots
Stables to respect:
Luke Pepper (6 runners) — has the biggest hand on deck and plenty of runners mapping well enough to be dangerous
Rob Potter (4 runners) — always worth a look when his team is up and about, especially with the speed maps in play
G P Vella (5 runners) — a busy stable day and a few of theirs can sit in the first four and make a mess of things
Punty's take: This is one of those Canberra cards where the form guide looks tidy until you actually read the map and realise half the field are in the wrong postcode. The synthetic at Acton doesn't usually hand out fairy floss to backmarkers unless the speed collapses in a heap, so I'm looking hard at horses that can park up in the first four and either pinch the race or get the cheap run. The big anchor in the meeting is Race 3, where Hold My Drink looks the obvious banker, but the rest of the day is a proper blend of short-priced battlers, drifters, and the odd roughie with a sniff if the race shape turns into a dogfight.
You've got a couple of stables that look like they've come to work - Luke Pepper, Rob Potter, G P Vella - and the market's already doing its usual pub dance, backing a few and chucking others out the back door. That Eyes Have It move in Race 7 has got a bit of smoke around it, Big Time Charlie is being kept honest, and Race 1 has the sort of open feel where one bad stride can turn a good tip into a lesson. If you're hunting straight wins, don't get greedy - the value is mostly in the races where the map and the price line up, not the ones where the favourite is trying to pay for your beers.
What it means for you: Be aggressive in the obvious spots, especially the races with a clear on-speed shape and a horse that can get the right run without doing the hard yards. Race 3 is your banker lane, Race 7 has the strongest favourite on the card, and Race 4 is the sort of race where a place bet can save you from a shithouse result when the short one isn't at top gear. The maidens are where the chaos lives - use them sparingly, and if you're playing them, lean on the horses with race fitness, a clean map, and a reason to improve rather than some fairy tale that "this is the day". Race 5 and Race 6 are the ones that can blow up if the pace goes weird, so keep the stakes sensible and don't go full Hollywood on the roughies.
PUNTY'S BIG 3 + MULTI
These are the three bets the day leans on.
1 - Hold My Drink (Race 3, No.1) — $1.45
Why This looks the right sort of maiden for a horse who maps to land on the bunny and be the one they're all chasing. The stable/jockey combo is humming and he just looks the most reliable bloke in the room.
2 - Timeless Grace (Race 4, No.6) — $2.40
Why Honest, solid, keeps knocking on the door, and this is a grade where the class edge should carry her a long way if she gets the right sit in a slowly run staying race.
3 - Neeson (Race 7, No.6) — $1.95
Why Short, sharp, and built to get the job done - the map is kind, the stable's rolling, and if he jumps clean he can put a hole in this lot early.
Multi (all three to win): $10 × ~6.79 = ~$67.86 collect
Race 1 – Open sprint scrap
Race type: TAB Same Race Multi (BM50), 1206m
Map & tempo: Moderate speed with Geostorm and Into The Fire keen to roll forward. Jukebox Flyer from barrier 1 gets the dream soft run, while Sorastorm and Chairman's List are the ones who can be handy without burning petrol.
Punty read: This is the sort of opener that can make a mug out of anyone who tries to get cute. Jukebox Flyer is the one the model likes best, but there are enough live chances here that you don't want to get married to a single idea and then watch it get buried in traffic like a bad chase scene from Heat. Sorastorm is the sneaky one off the back of firming support, and Geostorm's last run was better than the finish position suggests.
Top 3 + Roughie ($10.50 pool)
1. Jukebox Flyer (No.5) — $6.00 / $2.25
Bet $7.00 Each Way ($3.50W + $3.50P) — ✓ Won, net +$0.88
Prob 14.3% | Place: 40.0% | Value: 1.08x
Why Maps to get a lovely trail from the inside and he's the one likely to get first crack at the race when they straighten. On this card, that matters a hell of a lot more than looking flashy at the barriers.
2. Into The Fire (No.8) — $7.50 / $2.60
Bet Tracked
Prob 10.7% | Place: 39.9% | Value: 1.01x
Why Has the speed to lob on the pace, but the drift says the market's got a bit cagey and the race shape isn't screaming "must have".
3. Tis No Man (No.2) — $11.00 / $3.30
Bet $3.50 Place — ✗ Lost, net -$3.50
Prob 8.6% | Place: 43.3% | Value: 1.19x
Why Gelded up, better for the job, and if they overcook the front end he'll be there chipping away late without needing a miracle.
Roughie: Chairman's List (No.1) — $10.00 / $3.20
Bet Tracked
Prob 10.4% | Place: 35.0% | Value: 1.31x
Why Barrier 11 isn't ideal, but if he lands in the running line and the speed turns clunky, he can sneak into the money without much drama.
Race 2 – Maiden headache
Race type: Thoroughbred Park Event Centre Mdn Plate, 1080m
Map & tempo: Genuine speed with Isa Jet likely trying to spear forward. Spice Alley has the right draw to sit on it and the rest are mostly trying not to get in the other's way.
Punty read: This is a skinny little maiden but it's not as simple as the market might make it. Spice Alley is the one with the form and the map, and if that filly breaks clean she's the one everyone has to get past. Monte Braveheart has the right sort of rider but the drift is telling you the stable isn't screaming from the rooftops, and the newcomers are there to make it messy rather than win the argument.
Top 3 + Roughie ($15.00 pool)
1. Spice Alley (No.7) — $3.40 / $1.80
Bet $15.00 Win — ✗ Lost, net -$15.00
Prob 23.3% | Place: 58.7% | Value: 0.99x
Why Short enough, no doubt, but she's the one with the map and the recent form to boss this thing if she jumps and finds the front line early.
2. Monte Braveheart (No.2) — $4.20 / $2.05
Bet $5.00 Place — ✓ Won, net +$6.50
Prob 16.1% | Place: 63.7% | Value: 0.48x
Why Better gear profile today, but the market's not backing him like a certainty and the profile screams "minor money only".
3. The Ultimate Star (No.3) — $5.00 / $2.35
Bet Tracked
Prob 16.1% | Place: 43.3% | Value: 1.00x
Why First day out, ears pricked, and the gear tweak might help, but debutters in these cheap maidens are often more soap opera than solution.
Roughie: Second Witness (No.6) — $29.00 / $6.50
Bet Tracked
Prob 1.8% | Place: 6.5% | Value: 0.64x
Why Needs everything to go pear-shaped, which is possible in a maiden, but it's not the sort of lottery ticket I'm keen to burn cash on.
Race 3 – The banker brigade
Race type: Hops & Hooves Festival 26 September Mdn Hcp, 1280m
Map & tempo: Slow tempo, which usually means the horse that controls the front half or gets the softest trail gets a massive leg up. Hold My Drink is the obvious speed anchor and the main danger to himself.
Punty read: This is the race where the chalk can eat. Hold My Drink looks like the bloke at the barbecue who's already got the tongs in his hand - everyone knows he's running the show. Acquaro and Olivia Mia are the ones with value if the favourite somehow turns into a dancing monkey, but the race shape says the leader or on-pace runner should get every chance to dictate terms. The Bus is the one that gets left doing the long, sad walk home if the pace doesn't collapse.
Top 3 + Roughie ($20.50 pool)
1. Hold My Drink (No.1) — $1.45 / $1.09
Bet $7.00 Win — ✗ Lost, net -$7.00
Prob 47.2% | Place: 95.0% | Value: 1.03x
Why He maps to control it, the stable's got the polish on, and in a slowly run maiden like this you want the horse who's already got the race by the throat.
2. Acquaro (No.5) — $8.00 / $2.00
Bet $10.00 Place — ✓ Won, net +$10.00
Prob 13.7% | Place: 58.7% | Value: 1.38x
Why Has excuses, gets a cleaner setup today, and with the right tuck in behind the speed he can rattle home and make the favourite earn every inch.
3. Olivia Mia (No.4) — $9.50 / $2.15
Bet $3.00 Place — ✓ Won, net +$5.10
Prob 11.1% | Place: 43.3% | Value: 1.48x
Why Raced wide and got bumped last time, so the form looks uglier than it is. If the run lands sweet, she's got the sort of shape to run on and grab a cheque.
Roughie: Magnanamous (No.6) — $9.50 / $2.15
Bet Tracked
Prob 10.9% | Place: 43.3% | Value: 1.29x
Why The drift is ugly but the pace setup is actually decent for a horse that can stalk and swoop if the leaders get lazy.
Race 4 – Staying trap
Race type: John McGrath Auto Group Plate (C1), 1900m
Map & tempo: Slow tempo, which usually turns this into a tactical crawl. Timeless Grace should be in the right part of the picture, while the swoopers need the race to get messy.
Punty read: This is the sort of staying race where everyone pretends it's about stamina, but really it's about who gets the least bullshit in transit. Timeless Grace is the class act, Mamma Mia has been tightened up with gear changes and a firming market, and Sunburnt Country is the one the model says is over the odds. Treasure Hunter is the juicy roughie if they dawdle and he gets his head in the right spot. Zouwase is the map headache - wide gate, drifting price, and not exactly the kind of thing you want to go to war with at short odds.
Top 3 + Roughie ($10.50 pool)
1. Timeless Grace (No.6) — $2.40 / $1.25
Bet $3.50 Win — ✗ Lost, net -$3.50
Prob 28.1% | Place: 54.9% | Value: 0.85x
Why Honest as the day is long, and in a race that may be slowly run he's the one most likely to be put into a winning position without needing a miracle.
2. Mamma Mia (No.4) — $4.20 / $1.55
Bet $5.00 Place — ✓ Won, net +$2.75
Prob 17.0% | Place: 58.7% | Value: 0.90x
Why Gear shift can sharpen her up and the firming says the yard likes what they're seeing. If the tempo's dull, she gets every chance to stick on.
3. Sunburnt Country (No.10) — $6.50 / $2.20
Bet $2.00 Place — ✓ Won, net +$2.40
Prob 15.0% | Place: 43.3% | Value: 1.23x
Why Backmarker in a race that might crawl, but the price is still fair and the gear switch could wake the thing up just enough to grab a slice.
Roughie: Treasure Hunter (No.2) — $12.00 / $3.20
Bet Tracked
Prob 10.2% | Place: 58.7% | Value: 1.55x
Why Tongue tie on, draws well, and if this turns into a sit-and-sprint he can be the bloke flying home late when the leaders are gasping.
Race 5 – Mid-grade brawl
Race type: Cosmic Cleaning (BM65), 1750m
Map & tempo: Moderate speed with a stack of horses wanting a handy spot. That makes it a genuine chess game, not a go-forward picnic.
Punty read: This one feels like a proper bar fight - plenty of blokes in the ring, not a lot of space, and a few of them with enough form to nick it if they get the softest map. Taytay Bay is the top pick and the one they need to beat, but Big Time Charlie has the right numbers and the gear/market angle, That A Boy is the place play with a bit of class, and Tillman is the roughie that could blow the boots off the lot if the run turns in his favour. The market's already sniffing around Big Time Charlie and that's fair enough - when Luke Pepper turns one out and the money comes, you listen.
Top 3 + Roughie ($16.00 pool)
1. Taytay Bay (No.3) — $3.40 / $1.40
Bet $9.50 Each Way ($4.75W + $4.75P) — Cashed, net -$2.85
Prob 16.3% | Place: 43.3% | Value: 0.69x
Why Fit enough, capable enough, and the map is good enough for him to be right in the thick of it if he lands midfield with cover and doesn't get caught in traffic.
2. Big Time Charlie (No.4) — $4.20 / $1.60
Bet Tracked
Prob 16.3% | Place: 43.3% | Value: 0.86x
Why Big firming says somebody's keen, and with the weight drop plus the stable pattern, he's the sort that can keep rolling even if the race gets a bit messy.
3. That A Boy (No.2) — $6.50 / $2.20
Bet $6.50 Place — ✗ Lost, net -$6.50
Prob 14.4% | Place: 65.5% | Value: 1.17x
Why Handy gate, proven at the trip, and he's the sort of old tough bastard who can keep grinding when the pretty ones start looking for their pillows.
Roughie: Tillman (No.10) — $10.00 / $2.90
Bet Tracked
Prob 13.8% | Place: 39.9% | Value: 1.73x
Why He's the sleeper if the tempo gets awkward; has the profile to be finishing over the top when a few in front have had enough of the nonsense.
Race 6 – Speed test
Race type: TAB Federal Hcp, 1280m
Map & tempo: Genuine pace with Helluva Teen taking them along. Craving Magic is disadvantaged by the tempo, but his class and track form keep him front and centre.
Punty read: This is a race where you need the right kind of horse, because if you end up working early on the synthetic you can kiss the cat and the canary goodbye. Craving Magic is the one the model leans on, but Miss Jennifer is the sneaky map play now that the market's drifted her out a touch. Sutton Vella is a hard horse to knock on raw form, though the price is too skinny for a proper love-in, and Tavolo looks the roughie with the setup to run into the frame if the leaders cook each other. San Marino is the giant outsider that the numbers keep winking at, but that's more for the sickos in the cheap seats than the main ticket.
Top 3 + Roughie ($17.00 pool)
1. Craving Magic (No.1) — $2.90 / $1.30
Bet $9.50 Win — ✗ Lost, net -$9.50
Prob 22.9% | Place: 54.9% | Value: 0.84x
Why Track performer, trip performer, and a hoop/trainer combo that can get the job done if he gets the right drag into the race.
2. Sutton Vella (No.3) — $2.70 / $1.30
Bet Tracked
Prob 16.4% | Place: 43.3% | Value: 0.56x
Why Serious on recent wins, but the price is a touch on the nose and the place dividend is too skinny to go hunting extra cheese.
3. Miss Jennifer (No.2) — $6.50 / $2.10
Bet $7.50 Place — ✗ Lost, net -$7.50
Prob 14.4% | Place: 43.3% | Value: 1.19x
Why The drift is a little worrying, but the map is good enough to forgive it - if she gets the run off the speed she can be finishing when others are gasping like they just ran up a hill in Rocky.
Roughie: Tavolo (No.5) — $11.00 / $2.80
Bet Tracked
Prob 12.3% | Place: 46.3% | Value: 1.71x
Why Has the right sort of profile if the speed gets hot and the leaders feel the pinch, but the fresh-up factor and the drift keep him in the "interesting, not desperate" box.
Race 7 – Sprint feature
Race type: Affinity Electrical Technologies Plate (C2), 1280m
Map & tempo: Genuine speed with Comic Culture likely doing the early donkey work. Neeson gets the sweet spot, and The Eyes Have It is the market mover that everyone suddenly wants at the pub.
Punty read: This is the race where the smart money looks like it's already made a decision - Neeson is the banker, London Boy is the over-looked place play, and The Eyes Have It has been hammered late like a horse with a secret handshake. Comic Culture maps well enough to lead and give himself a chance, but barrier 1 doesn't magically make him invincible, and Platinum Ridge is the sort of roughie that can run a drum if the tempo gets honest and the others start looking around at each other like clueless extras in a heist movie.
Top 3 + Roughie ($18.50 pool)
1. Neeson (No.6) — $1.95 / $1.22
Bet $9.50 Win — ✓ Won, net +$9.02
Prob 39.1% | Place: 58.7% | Value: 0.97x
Why Maps to get the perfect run, comes in with the right gear changes, and the market is telling you he's the one to beat for a reason.
2. London Boy (No.8) — $6.00 / $1.85
Bet $9.00 Place — ✓ Won, net +$7.65
Prob 16.2% | Place: 39.9% | Value: 1.24x
Why Nice enough draw to settle where he wants, and he's the sort who can grind into a place when the favourite does the heavy lifting.
3. Comic Culture (No.7) — $3.40 / $1.32
Bet Tracked
Prob 14.8% | Place: 43.3% | Value: 0.64x
Why Good gate and could easily punch up on the speed, but at the price he's more "respect" than "smash the piggy bank".
Roughie: Platinum Ridge (No.4) — $17.00 / $3.50
Bet Tracked
Prob 7.4% | Place: 58.7% | Value: 1.61x
Why The drift is nasty, but if the race collapses into a speed burn-up he can be the one rattling home late and pinching a place from the wreckage.
SEQUENCE LANES — SINGLE OPTIMISED TICKET
QUADDIE (R4-R7)
Smart: 4,6,10,2 / 3,4,2,10 / 1,3,2,5 / 6,7,8,4 (256 combos x $0.14 = $35.00) -- 14% flexi
Three open legs and one proper banker-ish anchor make this a sweaty little beast. It can hit, but if one leg goes off script you’re cooked - entertainment with a side of anxiety.
NUGGETS FROM THE TRACK
1 - Slow tempo = front-half control
On this synthetic, slow or moderate races often turn into a map contest more than a stamina test. That's why Hold My Drink, Timeless Grace, and Neeson all get such a clean lane through the meeting.
2 - The market's telling a story in Race 7
The Eyes Have It, Neeson, and Big Time Charlie have all been the subject of real money. That doesn't make them gospel, but when the cash lands and the map lines up, it's usually worth listening instead of arguing with the smoke.
3 - Drifters aren't always dead, but they make me itchy
Horses like Into The Fire, Miss Jennifer, Zouwase, and Soliciting have all eased enough to make you raise an eyebrow. Sometimes it's just noise, sometimes it's the market sniffing trouble - either way, you don't need to be a hero at the tote.
FINAL WORD FROM THE SICKO SANCTUARY
Don't be the bloke who backs every favourite and then acts shocked when the dividends come out looking like loose change. Stick to the shape of the day, keep your staking tidy, and let the races come to you instead of chasing them like a goose in thongs.
Punty's Wrap-Up
The Wrap Canberra Acton - Roughies ran riot!
Neeson saved the bacon in Race 7, the place brigade kept the ledger from turning into a full-on funeral, and Acquaro, Sunburnt Country and Tavijewel all had their say when the roughies got cheeky. Hold My Drink and Timeless Grace copped it from the racing gods, and the big lesson was pretty simple: on this synthetic, the clean run in transit mattered more than the shiny form lines. It was a battler of a day with a few bright spots, not a bloodbath, but the shorties didn’t exactly hand out fairy floss.
How It Unfolded
We came in thinking handy runners would have the golden ticket, and for the most part the shape did give the leaders every chance early. But the first couple of races were a warning sign: Jukebox Flyer got the dream run and still couldn’t finish the job, Spice Alley looked the right sort in the maiden but couldn’t fully boss it, and Race 3 turned into a proper kick in the guts when Hold My Drink controlled the script on paper but Acquaro got the sweeter trip and pinched him late.
From Race 4 onward, the card got a bit weird in the best and worst possible ways. The slow tempos turned a few races into sit-and-sprint affairs, which let horses like Sunburnt Country and Tavijewel swoop in and mug the locals, while Sutton Vella and Neeson were the ones who got the perfect run and made the most of it. That only half confirmed the original read — yes, being handy mattered, but it was more about getting the right trail than just punching the breeze up front like you were in the opening scene of Top Gun.
The Scoreboard
Winners (Straight-Out)
R1 Jukebox Flyer — $7.00 Each Way @ $2.25 place → +$0.88
R2 Monte Braveheart — $5.00 Place @ $2.30 → +$6.50
R3 Acquaro — $10.00 Place @ $2.00 → +$10.00
R3 Olivia Mia — $3.00 Place @ $2.70 → +$5.10
R4 Mamma Mia — $5.00 Place @ $1.55 → +$2.75
R4 Sunburnt Country — $2.00 Place @ $2.20 → +$2.40
R7 Neeson — $9.50 Win @ $1.95 → +$9.02
R7 London Boy — $9.00 Place @ $1.85 → +$7.65
Big 3 Multi Result
Missed. Hold My Drink got rolled in Race 3, Timeless Grace never chimed in, and Neeson was the only leg that did the business. Bloody close enough to tease, not close enough to pay.
Race by Race — How’d We Go?
R1: Jukebox Flyer ran 2nd — got the soft run we wanted, but Geostorm had the better punch when it mattered.
R2: Spice Alley ran 3rd — map was good enough, but she couldn’t put the race away when the pressure lifted.
R3: Hold My Drink ran 2nd — controlled it early, then Acquaro got the sweeter sit and ran him down.
R4: Timeless Grace ran 4th — tactical crawl turned this into a nasty little chess match, and the class edge never fully clicked.
R5: Taytay Bay ran 3rd — honest enough, but Tavijewel stole the show and the top pick couldn’t reel in the upset.
R6: Craving Magic ran 3rd — the hot speed and the pressure found him out, while Sutton Vella got the kinder trip.
R7: Neeson won — bang on the money, got the right run and finished the job like a proper short-priced pest.
Selections: 8 of 28 paid, and the straight book finished down $11.05.
What We Learned — The Factors That Mattered
Pace was the whole bloody game, but not in the simple “lead and win” way we were expecting. A few races did reward handy types — Neeson and Sutton Vella were the clean examples — but the races that turned into tactical crawls gave the back half of the field a real sniff. That’s why Acquaro, Sunburnt Country and Tavijewel were able to jump up and smack us across the nose: they got the better setup while the shorties were busy doing the donkey work.
The other big lesson was that the market wasn’t gospel. It had a few right, like Neeson and Sutton Vella, but it also gave us skinny prices on horses like Hold My Drink, Timeless Grace and Craving Magic that never got the race run to suit. When the tempo goes fake on synthetic, the “obvious” horse can turn into a very expensive line through your card. That’s not a theory — that’s the kind of lesson that leaves a dent in the beer money.
Barrier and map still mattered, but they weren’t the whole story. Jukebox Flyer and Monte Braveheart got the sort of trips punters love, yet the day still had enough wobble in it for the roughies to pinch a few. The real separator was whether the horse could land in the right lane, conserve a bit of gas, and then lift when the pressure came on. If you were stuck wide or asked to do the hard yards early, you were basically in the wrong film.
So next time Canberra Acton rolls around on the synthetic, the takeaway is this: respect on-speed horses, but don’t marry them if the race shape looks soft and tactical. The best value lives in horses that can sit handy without burning petrol, or those roughies who are going to get the perfect stalking run while the favourites are cooking themselves out the front. Same track, same surface, same trick — just a bit less hero ball and a bit more cold-blooded punting.
Track Read — How The Map Played Out
The early expectation was fair enough: be near the speed, get the nice run, and you’re in the fight. That was partly right, because the winners did tend to come from sensible spots, but the track never became the one-way highway for leaders that a few of us were hoping for. Jukebox Flyer, Monte Braveheart and Neeson all got the kind of trips that keep punters happy, but the races weren’t so speed-biased that the front-runners could just wave the field through like they were directing traffic.
The real twist came when the tempos dropped and the races turned tactical. That’s when the map became less about pure speed and more about who saved the most petrol and got the cleanest shot late. Sunburnt Country and Tavijewel were the clearest signs of that shift, and the inside-to-middle lanes were fine as long as you weren’t bailed up like a mug on a Friday arvo. So the preview wasn’t miles off — handy still mattered — but it was a hell of a lot less straightforward than “sit on the bunny and collect”.
Quick Hits (Race-by-Race)
R1: Jukebox Flyer ($2.25 place) — BANG Each Way +$0.88; top pick ran 2nd.
R2: Monte Braveheart ($2.30 place) — BANG Place +$6.50; top pick ran 3rd.
R3: Acquaro ($2.00 place) — BANG Place +$10.00; Olivia Mia ($2.70 place) — BANG Place +$5.10; top pick Hold My Drink ran 2nd.
R4: Mamma Mia ($1.55 place) — BANG Place +$2.75; Sunburnt Country ($2.20 place) — BANG Place +$2.40; top pick Timeless Grace ran 4th.
R5: Top pick Taytay Bay ran 3rd — ran well enough, but Tavijewel nicked the race and the place bet never really paid the freight.
R6: Top pick Craving Magic ran 3rd — the speed was too hot and Sutton Vella got the kinder ride.
R7: Neeson ($1.95 win) — BANG Win +$9.02; London Boy ($1.85 place) — BANG Place +$7.65; top pick delivered.
We go again next meeting, with a bit more respect for the race shape and a bit less trust in the skinny ones who look good on paper but can’t cash the cheque. Gamble Responsibly.