Punt like a Pro, without the know!
Victoria · Tuesday 26 August 2025
Our top pick won 2 of 7 races at Ballarat Synthetic. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
top pick wonanother tip wonno tip won
Lightly raced gelding with impressive debut form including a narrow second at Sandown. The weight drop to 57kg and retention of Walsh suggests connections are confident. Despite limited experience, his class edge over this maiden field is evident.
The inside barrier is crucial on synthetic tracks, and the addition of ear muffs and tongue tie indicates serious preparation.
The McEvoy-Coffey combination is elite level, and the minimum weight of 55kg provides a significant advantage. However, the wide barrier draw is concerning on the synthetic track, and she lacks experience at this venue and surface.
The excellent barrier 2 draw and minimum weight of 55kg provide tactical advantages, while the addition of a tongue tie suggests connections expect improvement.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 6 | Single Choice | 5 | E J Walsh | Matthew Cumani | 57kg | $1.90 |
| 2nd | 4 | Packers Journey | 1 | Neil Farley | M Sell | 57.5kg | $4.60 |
| 3rd | 8 | Fast ''n'' Inzaine | 2 | Declan Bates | C Maher | 55kg | $12.00 |
| 4th | 3 | Figurante | 6 | Alana Kelly | K G McCartin | 57.5kg | $101.00 |
| 5th | 9 | Molveno | 9 | Harry Coffey | T & C McEvoy | 55kg | $3.50 |
| 6th | 1 | Da Plane Da Plane | 7 | Liam Riordan | D F Hill | 59.5kg | $41.00 |
| 7th | 5 | Nip | 3 | Ms J Kennedy | P G Payne | 57kg | $17.00 |
| Scr | 2 | Tyga Taste | 4 | Ryan Hurdle | Michael Hickmott | 59.5kg | |
| Scr | 7 | Empress Of China | 8 | Sarah Field | Dan O''Sullivan | 53.5kg |
She's A Beauty stands out as the most consistent performer with strong recent form including a close second at this track. Her synthetic track record and consistent placing ability make her the standout selection despite being winless.
Costalotta brings excellent synthetic track form with two seconds from two starts at this venue. The significant weight advantage and strong recent form make her a serious winning chance despite limited experience.
Call Me Phil has shown steady improvement with recent placings at this track. His synthetic form is solid but the wide barrier and top weight present challenges in what appears a competitive maiden.
Her recent heavy track second shows she's in good form despite no synthetic experience.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Call Me Phil | 13 | Ryan Hurdle | Damien Hunter | 59.5kg | $2.60 |
| 2nd | 4 | Garfield | 2 | Craig Atkinson | Ms H White | 59.5kg | $13.00 |
| 3rd | 5 | Knights Reign | 3 | Rhys Mc Leod | P Kearney | 59.5kg | $17.00 |
| 4th | 10 | She''s A Beauty | 8 | Harry Coffey | Jerome Hunter | 57.5kg | $5.50 |
| 5th | 9 | She Thinks Ahead | 5 | Daniel Moor | John McArdle | 57.5kg | $12.00 |
| 6th | 12 | Costalotta | 10 | Declan Bates | Archie Alexander | 55kg | $6.00 |
| 7th | 3 | Flavius | 9 | Zac Spain | M Price & M Kent Jnr | 59.5kg | $8.00 |
| 8th | 8 | Bella Gisella | 4 | John Allen | C Maher | 57.5kg | $12.00 |
| 9th | 13 | Sirgeeo | 6 | Jarrod Fry | Shannon Roughan | 59.5kg | $81.00 |
| 10th | 7 | Timofei | 11 | Neil Farley | M Sell | 59.5kg | $101.00 |
| 11th | 2 | Father Ed | 1 | W Gordon | P G Payne | 59.5kg | $61.00 |
| Scr | 6 | Sonder | 7 | E J Walsh | Matthew Cumani | 59.5kg | |
| Scr | 11 | Celtic Viva | 12 | P G Moody & Katherine Coleman | 55kg |
Shadeelaa presents as the standout selection having won his last start at this exact venue and distance. His synthetic track record is solid with 1 win from 5 starts, and he's shown consistent improvement with three placings from his last four runs. The retention of successful jockey E J Walsh and good barrier draw enhance his chances despite carrying top weight.
The Printer offers strong each-way value as a lightly raced improver with proven form at this track. However, the significant class rise and distance query are concerns that prevent him from being the top selection.
Tradeworx boasts an exceptional record at this specific track and distance with 2 wins from 3 starts. As a synthetic specialist who won his last start here, he represents solid each-way value.
While his second up record is concerning, the quality jockey booking and recent placings suggest he's competitive at this level.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4 | Wise Legend | 3 | John Allen | Dan O''Sullivan | 58kg | $9.00 |
| 2nd | 5 | All In Vain | 7 | Neil Farley | Shay Keating | 57kg | $8.50 |
| 3rd | 3 | The Printer | 1 | Craig Newitt | Matthew Cumani | 59kg | $2.60 |
| 4th | 2 | Shadeelaa | 2 | E J Walsh | Matthew Cumani | 60.5kg | $2.60 |
| 5th | 6 | Tradeworx | 5 | Paul Gatt | S V Brown | 55kg | $5.00 |
| 6th | 7 | Luna One | 6 | Makisha Salter | B R Crofts | 52kg | $101.00 |
| Scr | 1 | Chimed | 4 | Declan Bates | Annie Alexander | 61kg |
The Hayes stable gelding showed promise with a third at Wodonga last start and possesses the early speed to take advantage of barrier 3.
Milady brings the best recent form at this track and distance with a narrow second last start. Her synthetic track experience and consistent performances make her a strong chance despite the wide draw. The mare has shown she can handle the conditions and distance.
My Symphony showed significant improvement with a strong third at this venue last start. The gelding appears to be finding his feet after poor early efforts and the step up to 2100m suits. His recent course form gives him a solid chance in this field.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | My Symphony | 9 | W Gordon | Shane Jackson | 59.5kg | $6.50 |
| 2nd | 7 | Wallenberg | 3 | Harry Coffey | Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | 59.5kg | $2.70 |
| 3rd | 8 | Wet ''n'' Dry | 5 | Jarrod Fry | Shay Keating | 59.5kg | $21.00 |
| 4th | 9 | Blue Jean Queen | 6 | Alana Kelly | Daniel Kelly | 57.5kg | $26.00 |
| 5th | 2 | Grunnettan | 2 | John Allen | Rhys Archard | 59.5kg | $21.00 |
| 6th | 1 | Fifty Calibre | 1 | Daniel Moor | M Price & M Kent Jnr | 59.5kg | $4.60 |
| 7th | 4 | Plastic Dreams | 8 | Rhys Mc Leod | P Kearney | 59.5kg | $16.00 |
| 8th | 10 | Milady | 10 | Melissa Julius | P A Chow | 57.5kg | $7.00 |
| 9th | 6 | Reward The Crown | 7 | Lucinda Doodt | Brian Lawlor | 59.5kg | $81.00 |
| 10th | 5 | Purple Prince | 4 | Beau Mertens | Gavin Bedggood | 59.5kg | $8.00 |
Olatunde presents as the standout selection dropping dramatically in class after Group racing.
Second up placement concerns are offset by his strong recent form trend.
Miss Mahjong's perfect record at this track and distance makes her a strong contender.
His close second last start at this track demonstrates current ability, and the slight class drop should help.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4 | Miss Mahjong | 8 | Cian Macredmond | Matthew Cumani | 59kg | $7.00 |
| 2nd | 3 | Let''s Trot | 1 | Declan Bates | Shane Jackson | 59kg | $9.00 |
| 3rd | 6 | Olatunde | 6 | Damian Lane | T Fitzsimmons | 56.5kg | $1.22 |
| 4th | 5 | Nordic | 4 | John Allen | Andrew Noblet | 58kg | $13.00 |
| 5th | 8 | High Delta | 3 | Sarah Field | K G McCartin | 52.5kg | $151.00 |
| Scr | 1 | Il Cubo | 5 | Nadia Daniels | Reece Goodwin | 59kg | |
| Scr | 2 | Maximum Power | 2 | Liam Riordan | L & T Corstens & W Larkin | 60kg | |
| Scr | 7 | Stellar Madame | 7 | Paul Gatt | Chris Calthorpe | 55kg |
Taung presents as the standout selection with a perfect record at Ballarat Synthetic including an impressive last-start win at this exact track and distance. The 4-year-old has shown he can handle higher class having contested Listed company, and the significant weight relief to 54kg provides a crucial advantage. Despite the class rise, his synthetic track specialization and current form momentum make him the logical choice.
Absolute Sunshine brings strong synthetic credentials with an excellent record at Ballarat including recent back-to-back wins. While he hasn't won at 1500m in 4 attempts, he's been consistently competitive at this distance with 3 seconds and 1 third. The Hayes stable excels with synthetic specialists, and the weight relief provides additional appeal in this class rise.
Delivering boasts an outstanding record at Ballarat Synthetic with 4 wins from 4 starts and is a proven 1500m specialist. His recent form has been strong with consistent performances, though the class rise and 59kg weight assignment present challenges. The wide barrier could be problematic, but his track specialization and distance expertise keep him competitive.
The 1500m distance suits with previous success, and the weight relief to 54.5kg provides assistance.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 9 | Taung | 7 | E J Walsh | Matthew Cumani | 54kg | $2.05 |
| 2nd | 2 | Delivering | 8 | Declan Bates | C Maher | 59kg | $5.00 |
| 3rd | 8 | Our Couver | 9 | Craig Newitt | Jerome Hunter | 54.5kg | $8.00 |
| 4th | 3 | Vail Mountain | 4 | Harry Coffey | Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | 58kg | $11.00 |
| 5th | 7 | Absolute Sunshine | 3 | Daniel Moor | Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | 54.5kg | $4.40 |
| 6th | 4 | Electric Belle | 6 | Damian Lane | Reece Goodwin | 57.5kg | $21.00 |
| 7th | 6 | Tolpuddle | 2 | Neil Farley | Andrew Noblet | 55.5kg | $51.00 |
| Scr | 1 | Falcon Of Malta | 5 | Beau Mertens | Gavin Bedggood | 59.5kg | |
| Scr | 5 | Smart Poppy | 1 | Jake Duffy | Craig Weeding | 57.5kg | |
| Scr | 10 | Typhoon Tony | 10 | Simone Walker | 54kg |
The standout selection with an excellent record at this track and distance. Recent back-to-back wins demonstrate current form, and the synthetic surface suits perfectly. Despite carrying top weight, the class drop and proven track ability make this the horse to beat.
Consistent performer who ran a strong second at this track last start. The synthetic surface suits and the barrier draw is favorable. While the overall record is modest, recent form suggests improvement and represents fair value.
The significant class drop and light weight make this an interesting value proposition. Recent form shows improvement with a solid third at this track last start.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4 | El Salto | 13 | Sam Kennedy Roessling | L E Robertson | 56kg | $7.00 |
| 2nd | 1 | Innocent Enuff | 8 | Ryan Houston | Logan McGill | 62.5kg | $2.15 |
| 3rd | 5 | Whitson | 7 | Harry Coffey | Mitchell Freedman | 58.5kg | $5.50 |
| 4th | 7 | Kaygeebee | 2 | Nadia Daniels | Aaron Laing | 54.5kg | $7.50 |
| 5th | 6 | The Bont | 4 | Cian Macredmond | Shay Keating | 58kg | $21.00 |
| 6th | 3 | Mr Tickles | 5 | Beau Mertens | Mitchell Leek | 61kg | $4.40 |
| 7th | 12 | Wind Dreamer | 1 | Paul Gatt | John Keane | 54kg | $101.00 |
| 8th | 13 | Magestic Diva | 3 | K G McCartin | 54kg | $151.00 | |
| Scr | 2 | Gwan So | 12 | Beau Treloar | L & T Corstens & W Larkin | 59kg | |
| Scr | 8 | Kezza''s Legacy | 10 | Stephen Field | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 9 | Sibel | 6 | Lauren Burke | R W Harrison | 55kg | |
| Scr | 10 | Auckland | 11 | Simone Walker | 56kg | ||
| Scr | 11 | Kristique Dancer | 9 | J Rowe | 55.5kg |
Before the races, not after
Our top three picks and a value pick for every race, with assessed prices, speed maps and the analysis behind them. Free for 7 days.