Rockhampton Best Bets & Preview | April 24

We're only nine days away from The Archer meeting at Callaghan Park, so it'll be interesting to see how the track plays ahead of one of the biggests days on the global racing calendar. Seven of the best are scheduled under blue skies, with the rail out 6.5m the entire and the track rated a Soft 5. The first will jump at 1:01pm.

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Race 1: 2YO Maiden Handicap (1200M)

If you backed all of Nat McCall's runners at Rocky over the past three years, you'd be absolutely laughing, with a ROI of 16% and a winning strike rate of 23%, so that's what we're going to do here. Formal Affair found the 800m too sharp at Ipswich on debut, but that form was franked on Thursday with Lucky Pat bolting in there again as a $1.30 favourite. She now jumps to 1200m which will be more suitable, she draws gate one and Chip Collis hops aboard, so sharp improvement can be expected.

Race 2: 2YO & 3YO Maiden Handicap (1050M)

Bowdene raced well on debut and was only run down late before a spell. He's been back to the trials, winning his most recent with a bit of style in fairly quick time. While the time of that trial was the slowest of the morning, as a 2YO, he was only 1 second slower than King Of The Mountain winner and Archer-bound Cherry Rose, so there is merit there. Connections opted to scratch from Race 1 where he drew low over 1200m to run here against the older horses from a wide draw over 1050m, so I'm expecting him to be hard to beat.

Race 3: 3YO Handicap (1400M)

I think Scialla will be hard to beat again after winning last start as a $1.30 favourite, but the $2.20 is a bit skinny to be taking in an open race.

Race 4: Benchmark 60 (1600M)

Smart Mission proved a mile too good first-up over 1300m, before finding one better when long odds-on second-up over 1400m. He got back there and couldn't reel in the leader, but he did knuckle down late, giving the indication that further will suit. He'll get a soft run from gate one and should prove too good.

Race 5: Benchmark 58 (1050M)

It took Neverenoughlego 12 starts to break his maiden, but he's one from one for Garnett Taylor in Queensland, so that's the record we can focus on. In saying that, when he was with the Hayes boys in Victoria, he started $2.10 in a Pakenham maiden and finished fourth to Planet Red, Observer and Ruska Roma - there'd be no betting on any of those three in a Rocky BM58! Neverenoughlego sat outside the leader first-up and took over early in the straight, racing away to win by 4.5L, with the runner up putting a margin on the other two in the field too. He can go on with it.

Race 6: Benchmark 72 (1050M)

There's only four horses that have beaten Sheza Alibi; Autumn Boy, Tentyris, Raging Force and Universal Harmony. Some claim to fame. That was here at Rocky over 1100m and he beat that start filly by 2.75L there - if that was 1050m, he would have won by 4L. He finished last prep as a dominant Mackay winner, and to get ready for his return he's had a good jump out up the straight. He can find the front under McIver and be hard to catch.

Race 7: Benchmark 60 (1300M)

I don't really want to do it to myself or to the four people that have made it this far, but Sujeed is busting to win a race, and this could be the day. He took a few runs to find his feet in CQ, running a huge race at big odds from the back over 1200m four back, then running a narrow second three back behind Our Heart Throb who he meets 0.5kg better for a 0.25L margin. Then last start, he came from near last to run second to Smart Mission who we're tipping earlier in the day in a better race than this, so I think it's the right form. Close your eyes for the first 1000m and then hold your breath for the last 300m.  

Living Breathing - R2 Bowdene

Selections

Race 1: Formal Affair

Race 2: Bowdene

Race 3: No Bet

Race 4: Smart Mission

Race 5: Neverenoughlego

Race 6: Universal Harmony

Race 7: Sujeed