Saturday, 20 June 2026
No more jumps at this meeting today.
Punty's Punts
Race type: MAIDEN, 1300m
Map & tempo: Moderate pace; My Tea, Ray's Sauce and Take The Field get the race shape they want, while Minozza looks the cleanest on-speed play
Punty read: This is a proper little "who wants to win it?" job. My Tea is the one I trust most because the blinkers first time can sharpen her up and she's been knocking on the door without getting the job done. Ray's Sauce has been hammered in from $6 to $4 and you can see why - last start wide run, lighter weight, and this looks a much saner map. Take The Field gets gear changes and a nice enough setup to run into the money if they don't crawl. Minozza is the sneaky map horse in the race, but the locked play is built around the trio above.
Top 3 + Roughie ($20.00 pool)
1. My Tea (No.1) — $3.20 / $1.37 🏆 WINNER
Bet $14.50 Each Way ($7.25W + $7.25P) — ✓ Won, net +$18.63
Prob 19.2% | Place: 95.0% | Value: 0.69x
Why Blinkers first time can wake her right up, and she's got the sort of track/distance profile that says she's been around the block without being properly punished. From barrier 4 she should get every chance to hit the line.
2. Ray's Sauce (No.2) — $3.80 / $1.50 🏆 3RD
Bet Tracked
Prob 17.8% | Place: 65.5% | Value: 1.01x
Why The top pick's each-way already covers the place angle here — doubling up is paying twice for the same insurance. Tracked instead.
3. Take The Field (No.3) — $6.20 / $2.10 🏆 2ND
Bet $5.50 Place — ✓ Won, net +$8.25
Prob 15.7% | Place: 65.5% | Value: 0.86x
Why Blinkers and tongue tie first time is the sort of gear combo that can turn a horse from a sniffle into a scream. He was wide with interference last start, so a cleaner run here could have him lunging late.
Roughie: Stoptheprospector (No.10) — $21.00 / $4.80 🏆 4TH
Bet Tracked
Prob 3.7% | Place: 39.9% | Value: 0.68x
Why Needs the race to fall apart and a few of the others to go walkabout, but if the tempo gets ugly and the leaders start stepping on rakes, he's the type that could clunk into the placings late.
Race type: HANDICAP, 1400m
Map & tempo: Moderate pace; Wing It and Chantilly Girl are the snug ones, Hope To Admire gets the right setup, and Holdout is the market mover keeping people awake
Punty read: This looks like the kind of race where the fence and the first turn can make or break you. Wing It has the plum draw and the form line says the penny has dropped after that win; if Jason Li can get him rolling without cooking him early, he's a serious player. Chantilly Girl has the blinkers going on and a decent run style for this sort of race, while Hope To Admire has the profile of a horse that keeps running into the frame without quite getting the fridge opened. Holdout is the roughie that the money has found, but I'm not getting carried away unless the race falls into his lap.
Top 3 + Roughie ($17.50 pool)
1. Wing It (No.2) — $3.45 / $1.37 🏆 WINNER
Bet $13.50 Each Way ($6.75W + $6.75P) — ✓ Won, net +$20.92
Prob 18.3% | Place: 65.5% | Value: 0.79x
Why Barrier 1 is the kind of gift that lets a horse save fuel and get the cheap run. He's done the right thing recently and if he jumps cleanly, he's got every chance to turn the race into a sitting duck scenario.
2. Chantilly Girl (No.4) — $4.20 / $1.50 🏆 2ND
Bet Tracked
Prob 18.3% | Place: 65.5% | Value: 0.96x
Why The top pick's each-way already covers the place angle here — doubling up is paying twice for the same insurance. Tracked instead.
3. Hope To Admire (No.1) — $4.65 / $1.60 🏆 4TH
Bet $4.00 Place — ✗ Lost, net -$4.00
Prob 17.1% | Place: 58.7% | Value: 0.99x
Why This is the honest battler of the field - keeps popping up, gets excuses, and eventually one of these runs will line up. If the race turns into a sit-and-sprint, he's not the worst horse to have on your side.
Roughie: Holdout (No.7) — $13.75 / $3.20 🏆 6TH
Bet Tracked
Prob 5.3% | Place: 65.5% | Value: 0.92x
Why He's been heavily backed and the market's taken notice, but he still needs things to fall his way from the wider draw. If the leaders overdo it or the favourites flatten out late, he can absolutely roll into the exotics.
Race type: HANDICAP, 1300m
Map & tempo: Slow pace; Torqued Up, Tassort We Want and Magnasonic look the handiest, with Missile Girl and Magic Shot the ones capable of finishing over the top if the leaders get cute
Punty read: Slow pace races at Hedland can be a proper pain in the arse because the horses with tactical speed get first refusal on the contest. Torqued Up gets the right shape, the right race style, and a map that says he can park up and strike when the button gets pushed. Tassort We Want is the sort of horse you want around when the race is more chess than footy - nothing flashy, just keeps finding a way. Missile Girl has some market love and the setup is decent enough for a forward showing, while Magic Shot is the sneaky one if the race becomes a tactical stoush and they sprint off the bend.
Top 3 + Roughie ($18.00 pool)
1. Torqued Up (No.1) — $5.60 / $2.05 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet $11.50 Each Way ($5.75W + $5.75P) — ✗ Lost, net -$11.50
Prob 15.5% | Place: 65.5% | Value: 1.12x
Why Slow tempo, tactical map, and a runner that knows how to turn up when the race isn't a cavalry charge. He can sit midfield, press the button at the right time, and make the rest chase.
2. Tassort We Want (No.2) — $4.90 / $1.90 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet Tracked
Prob 15.0% | Place: 65.5% | Value: 0.95x
Why The top pick's each-way already covers the place angle here — doubling up is paying twice for the same insurance. Tracked instead.
3. Missile Girl (No.4) — $9.30 / $2.70 🏆 3RD
Bet $6.50 Place — ✓ Won, net +$19.50
Prob 11.2% | Place: 60.0% | Value: 1.34x
Why The market has nudged her in and I'm not fighting it. She had excuses last time, she's a genuine enough runner for this sort of race, and the pace setup says she can be running on hard enough to matter.
Roughie: Puro (No.9) — $9.60 / $3.00 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet Tracked
Prob 11.1% | Place: 63.7% | Value: 1.38x
Why Backmarker with a lightweight rider in a race that might not go hard enough for swoopers. Needs the leaders to get wobbly, but if they do, he's the one who can smoke them late down the outside.
Race type: HANDICAP, 1200m
Map & tempo: Moderate pace; Galaxy Affair and Fameux have the best on-pace shape, while Dynamic One is the short one but maps a touch more awkwardly than the price suggests
Punty read: This is one of those races where the market can make your lunch for you if you're not careful. Dynamic One is clearly the class horse in the eyes of plenty, but barrier and map say he's not getting a free ride. Galaxy Affair has drifted but still looks the better value because he's the type who can stalk the speed and launch without needing a miracle. Bartime has been crunched in from $5 to $3 and the money says the yard is happy, but I'm not taking that skinny of a price when the map isn't a picnic. Royalzel and Catalpa are the rough-and-ready value types if the race gets messy.
Top 3 + Roughie ($19.00 pool)
1. Galaxy Affair (No.1) — $5.70 / $2.57 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet $14.00 Each Way ($7.00W + $7.00P) — ✗ Lost, net -$14.00
Prob 17.4% | Place: 66.7% | Value: 1.24x
Why He's drifted, which keeps a few punters honest, but the form is rock solid and the map says he can get a charmed enough run midfield before coming over the top. At this price, he's the one I want.
2. Bartime (No.6) — $3.60 / $1.87 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet Tracked
Prob 17.4% | Place: 54.9% | Value: 0.78x
Why The top pick's each-way already covers the place angle here — doubling up is paying twice for the same insurance. Tracked instead.
3. Dynamic One (No.3) — $3.40 / $1.80 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet $5.00 Place — ✗ Lost, net -$5.00
Prob 17.3% | Place: 63.7% | Value: 0.74x
Why He's the short one for a reason - honest, tough, and winning his share - but this map isn't exactly a red carpet. If he can cross or camp close without cooking himself, he's right there, but the price is skinny enough to make me squint.
Roughie: Border Control (No.2) — $20.00 / $7.33 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet Tracked
Prob 5.0% | Place: 65.5% | Value: 1.25x
Why Track record says he's not hopeless here and the market has noticed a little bit, but the recent form says he's been making a nuisance of himself without landing the knockout. If the old boy turns up and gets a soft run, he can run into the placings at a spicy number.
Race type: HANDICAP, 1200m
Map & tempo: Genuine pace; Calathinite is likely to roll along, and that gives the on-pacers and the horse with the right trail a big say in the result
Punty read: This is the race that can ruin your afternoon if you blink. Speed on speed on speed, which means the horse that lands the sweet stalking run can absolutely lob and make the others look silly. Hit The Jackpot has the best early position but he's lumping 6kg more than last time, which is never the sort of thing that makes a bloke grin. Star Power is a proper honest conveyance and loves this lane, while La Signora Dane looks like the one with the big place-profile and the sort of profile that can keep nicking money in the exotics. Leading Taddy and Imperialize are the sneaky value runners if the leaders go a bit too hard and turn the thing into a last-half-furlong stabbing match.
Top 3 + Roughie ($16.00 pool)
1. Hit The Jackpot (No.1) — $4.60 / $2.20 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet $9.50 Each Way ($4.75W + $4.75P) — ✗ Lost, net -$9.50
Prob 14.4% | Place: 58.7% | Value: 0.83x
Why He's got the map, the speed, and a decent enough race shape, but the big weight rise is the little gremlin sitting on his back. If he's good enough to lug it, he wins; if not, he can still hang on and pay the bills.
2. Star Power (No.2) — $5.20 / $2.40 🏆 3RD
Bet Tracked
Prob 14.4% | Place: 43.3% | Value: 0.94x
Why The top pick's each-way already covers the place angle here — doubling up is paying twice for the same insurance. Tracked instead.
3. La Signora Dane (No.5) — $5.70 / $2.57 🏆 2ND
Bet $6.50 Place — ✓ Won, net +$13.00
Prob 14.4% | Place: 66.7% | Value: 1.03x
Why Big place profile, cleaner setup, and the sort of mare who can bounce back from a couple of muddied runs. If she gets her lane and the speed does the right thing, she's the one filling the frame.
Roughie: Leading Taddy (No.3) — $9.40 / $3.80 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet Tracked
Prob 10.9% | Place: 58.7% | Value: 1.29x
Why The map says he gets a shot and the pace could get hot enough to give him a chance to swoop at a price. He's not the horse you throw the kitchen sink at, but he's the sort that can make a quaddie look clever if he gets the right tow into it.
Race type: HANDICAP, 1600m
Map & tempo: Moderate pace; Another Nephew looks the one to beat, while Whispering Pharaoh, Tousled Crown and Kermelia are the main players if the race becomes a stern late grind
Punty read: This is a more serious race than it first looks. Another Nephew has the best profile and the sort of staying map that lets a good horse look like a good horse - nothing flashy, just efficient and bloody hard to get past. Whispering Pharaoh has drifted, which isn't ideal, but the shape of the race still suits him enough to be dangerous if he parks in the right spot. Tousled Crown is the tidy map horse, Kermelia is the one the market has pushed out but could still surprise at a double-figure quote if the tempo turns into a patience test. If this one turns into a last furlong showdown, the bloke who saved petrol early will be the one laughing.
Top 3 + Roughie ($18.00 pool)
1. Another Nephew (No.3) — $3.10 / $1.70 🏆 2ND
Bet $11.50 Each Way ($5.75W + $5.75P) — Cashed, net -$6.61
Prob 23.9% | Place: 65.5% | Value: 0.92x
Why He looks the most reliable horse in the race and the map gives him every chance to stalk the speed without getting into a wrestling match. In a bunch like this, that sort of tactical comfort matters.
2. Whispering Pharaoh (No.6) — $5.80 / $2.60 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet Tracked
Prob 17.0% | Place: 65.5% | Value: 1.22x
Why The top pick's each-way already covers the place angle here — doubling up is paying twice for the same insurance. Tracked instead.
3. Tousled Crown (No.2) — $5.20 / $2.40 🏆 UNPLACED
Bet $6.50 Place — ✗ Lost, net -$6.50
Prob 15.1% | Place: 65.5% | Value: 0.97x
Why Good enough map, good enough recent signs, and a horse that can park handy without panicking. If the favourite is a touch flat or the race turns into a slog, this bloke is right in the frame.
Roughie: Hundred Yards (No.7) — $13.50 / $5.17 🏆 4TH
Bet Tracked
Prob 5.3% | Place: 39.9% | Value: 0.88x
Why He needs a couple of things to go pear-shaped up front, but he's got the sort of profile that can run over the top if they roll along and the others start feeling the pinch late. More a "keep him in the exotics" type than a bankable wager.
That's the ticket as I struck it — the legs below are exactly what ran, no rewriting history.
Smart: 2,1,4,9 / 1,3,6,4 / 1,2,5,3 / 3,6,2,7 (256 combos x $0.25 = $65.00) -- 25% flexi
The day's multi leans on three win legs across the card.
1 - My Tea (Race 1, No.1)✓ Won — $3.20
2 - Wing It (Race 2, No.2)✓ Won — $3.45
3 - Torqued Up (Race 3, No.1) — $5.60
Meeting Stats
Selections
Punty's Early Mail
Rightio Loose Units, Port Hedland's serving up a proper little stoush today: true rail, good deck, and a crosswind that can turn the straight into a scrap if you get caught three and four wide like a mug in a pub queue. This isn't one of those meetings where you can just slam the favourite and go back to your parmi - there's enough market moves, gear changes and pace wrinkles to keep the degens honest.
MEET SNAPSHOT
Track: Port Hedland, 1300m-1600m card
Rail: True
Official going: Good (expected to play fair but handy/on-pace early)
Weather: Sunny, 23C, humidity 29%, wind 33km/h E (watch for gusts and any horses caught wide)
Early lane guess: Inside and handy early, but don't get obsessed with the fence if the wind starts bullying the outside
Tempo profile: A mix of moderate and genuine tempos; Race 5 looks the most willing speed battle, while Race 3 and Race 6 should reward horses who can sit close without burning fuel
Jockeys to follow:
Ms Elisha Whittington, keeps landing on the right types and gets her mounts into the race without wasting a stride
Ms Sharni Webster, aggressive enough to make a bad draw look less ugly, especially in these Hedland grinders
Rocky Cheung(a1.5/50kg), handy claim and often the bloke on the lighter-weight darts that can improve sharply
Stables to respect:
Brett Pope (lots of runners), has numbers everywhere and a stack of the more reliable map horses
Timothy Pike (lots of runners), has live chances scattered through the card and a few are drawn to do no work
Ryan Hill (several runners), plenty of the day's key players come from this camp, and a couple are ready to peak
Punty's take: This is the sort of Hedland card where the form guide looks tidy until you actually stare at the map and realise half the races are tactical knife fights. The true rail says saving ground matters, but the wind can make the straight feel like a scene from Mad Max if you're trapped off the bridle and peeling wide. That means the cleanly drawn on-pacers and the horses with an excuse last start are the ones I want in my pocket.
Race 1 is a maiden with a few decent lanes to attack, but it's also the kind of race where the market can get twitchy because nobody's exactly Lance Armstrong in the closing stages. Race 2 and Race 6 look like the more professional contests - not necessarily easier, just less chaotic - while Race 4 and Race 5 are where the grease and the glitter live. That's where you either land on the right horse or spend the arvo staring at the screen like you've just watched the last season of Succession.
What it means for you: I'd be leaning into the place side more than usual when the race shape is messy, because Hedland can punish overconfidence faster than a bad Tinder date. The day's best angles are horses with a decent map, a legitimate excuse last time, or a market move that actually makes sense once you marry it to the form. I'm happy to stand up against a few shorties where the price is cooked, but I'm not trying to be a hero in the roughie band where the historical damage lives. Keep the quaddie alive with a sensible spread, then use the Top 3 in each race to keep the dust off the boots.