Rockhampton Best Bets + Preview | October 30

Eight races are scheduled for Rockhampton this afternoon. We’re starting on a Soft 7, with the rail out 6.5m the entire. There is a little bit of rain forecast around lunchtime, but other than that, it looks relatively good drying weather, so an upgrade throughout the day won’t shock, especially if the rain misses. The first is set to go at 11:46am local time.

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Race 1: BM70 (1050m)

Not overly keen to play here, but Pretty Slick seems to be the only one going any good. She’s been in the money in her last four and is holding her form well, so from the outside alley under Butler, she should find the front and take a bit of catching.

Race 2: Maiden (1400m)

Staying out of this. Some of these will never win a maiden.

Race 3: Class 3 (1500m)

I’m inclined to have something on Phantom Flight, mainly for mental health reasons. He can be hard to catch, but given he was a winner two back over 1200m suggests to me that he’s come back well this time in. He beat Darling Clementine there and now gets a 0.5kg swing on her. If there were eight in it, I’d say he’s a great each-way bet, but no third dividend concerns me a touch, especially when the top two in betting are racing well and find a fairly thin race.

Race 4: 3YO Maiden (1300m)

The Kobay Train looks default favourite because the rest are slow, but he’s not much faster. Think you’d need to be violently ill and twisted to steam in at $1.75.

Race 5: 3YO Maiden (1050m)

This looks a pretty hot 3YO maiden, with a few well-performed horses lining up. Old Gold did plenty wrong in his first prep and then had excuses first-up from a wide draw, so I want to see him again. Bonewood trialled well, but is out of a Group 1 QLD Oaks runner-up, so the 1050m seems too short on breeding, which leaves me with the third of the Taylor runners in Bitter Spirit. He was beaten by the smart Saraqael on debut, then beaten by Krackacan who is a three time winner. At start three, he started $3 against Sheza Alibi, a filly who has run second to Autumn Boy, third to Tentyris and is set to start favourite at Flemington on Saturday! All the form around him from his first prep says that he’s the one to beat here.

Race 6: 0-55 (1600m)

Cheering a Sean Cormack race-to-race double here - that’s something I never thought I’d say, at least in writing… Iconic Prince was a dominant winner at Mackay last start, reeling off the best last 800m, 600m, 400m and 200m of the race. While he didn’t beat a whole lot, the way he went about it was stylish enough to stick with him in a race like this given he should get a fairly cushy run here. The Soft 7 is the knock, but it is for pretty much all of them.

Race 7: BM65 (1300m)

The favourite Woodstock Rock looks pretty hard to beat, but I just can’t catch him. There does look good pressure in this, and he’s probably the one that can take a sit just off them, so he’ll get his chance to win. I just can’t bring myself to taking $2 about him. Looks the most likely winner, though.

Race 8: BM55 (1100m)

Not really a fun way to end the day. Underrated looks a complete m*ral. Too short to tip, but you can’t tip against him.

Living Breathing - Race 5 #2 Bitter Spirit

Selections

Race 1: Pretty Slick

Race 2: No Bet

Race 3: Phantom Flight

Race 4: No Bet

Race 5: Bitter Spirit*

Race 6: Iconic Prince

Race 7: No Bet

Race 8: No Bet