Punt like a Pro, without the know!
New South Wales · Thursday 1 January 2026
Our top pick won 3 of 6 races at Port Macquarie. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
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Winters Ending tops form assessment with recent strong 3rd at similar trip/distance on soft, translating well to Good 4. Consistent class, improving fitness after 17 days. Moderate-fast tempo suits closing style over Legin's poor finishes and William's heavier defeats.
William's Smile shows best consistency with multiple recent placings including 2nd/3rd/3rd pattern.
Yianni brings recent fitness (32 days) and blinkers FT for improvement potential.
Class drop helps despite 0 placings from 6 starts and recent poor finishes (9th/8th).
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4 | Winters Ending | 3 | Grant Buckley | Nick Mitchell | 59kg | $4.20 |
| 2nd | 3 | William's Smile | 5 | Grace Palmer | John Bannister | 55kg | $3.30 |
| 3rd | 2 | Legin | 1 | Peter Graham | R J Agnew | 59kg | $3.60 |
| 4th | 5 | Yianni | 8 | Andrew Gibbons | Shane Everson | 59kg | $3.10 |
| Scr | 1 | Flame Of Fire | 2 | B M Lazzarini | 59kg | ||
| Scr | 6 | Adelina Falls | 6 | Ms K Waugh | 57kg | ||
| Scr | 7 | Ellofaby | 7 | Ben Blay | 57kg | ||
| Scr | 8 | Vinopolis | 4 | Ben Blay | 57kg |
Bold Splendor stands out on form with a recent strong 2nd at Tuncurry over 1600m in Class 1, now dropping back here. Good 4 record solid (9:1-1-0), class drop key edge over rivals lacking recent punch.
Heart Of Platinum's local knowledge shines with 9 Port starts (0-1-1) and T&D place. Recent 4th over 1812m here and 3rd on heavy show fitness for Good 4. Stronger venue form than imports like Highland Mirage.
Highland Mirage gets prime barrier 4 for likely forward run on pace-favouring Port track. Good 4 stats (10:0-2-2) and prior 2nd here over 1509m. Consistent recent form edges winless rivals like Flame Of Fire, though class rise and topweight temper win hopes. Solid place chance.
Recent 4th over 1600m at Taree indicates staying upside despite maiden status.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 8 | Think Of One | 7 | Andrew Gibbons | T J Bartley | 56.5kg | $3.30 |
| 2nd | 6 | Flame Of Fire | 5 | Kacie Adams | B M Lazzarini | 56.5kg | $8.00 |
| 3rd | 4 | Bold Splendor | 6 | Lee Magorrian | D Lane | 57kg | $3.90 |
| 4th | 5 | Heart Of Platinum | 8 | Grant Buckley | R N Godbolt | 57kg | $4.00 |
| 5th | 2 | Tea Or Coffee | 2 | Shae Wilkes | Ben Blay | 57.5kg | $6.50 |
| 6th | 1 | Highland Mirage | 4 | Matthew Bennett | Cassandra Schmidt | 59kg | $8.50 |
| Scr | 3 | Bold Rouge | 3 | D Lane | 57kg | ||
| Scr | 7 | Legin | 1 | R J Agnew | 56.5kg |
Brazen Brando stands out on pure form with consistent placings in recent BM58/50 races, including a strong 2nd at Tuncurry behind today's field context. Midfield position ideal for Port Macquarie's pace bias and fast tempo favoring handy runners over backmarkers. Superior to others on recency and experience.
Crown Estate brings sharp recent form with a win at similar trip/distance and close 2nd last start. Likely midfield suits track's tactical nature despite barrier.
Good track affinity (15:2-1-0), class drop, and likely forward role perfect for Port Macquarie's tight turns and leader bias (25% win rate). Recent poor run excusable in stronger grade; edges midfielders on raw speed.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Steely Girl | 3 | Grant Buckley | R N Godbolt | 61.5kg | $5.00 |
| 2nd | 1 | La Pelago | 7 | Grace Palmer | D Lane | 58.5kg | $7.00 |
| 3rd | 7 | Seeni | 1 | Matthew Bennett | J A Sylvester | 58.5kg | $14.00 |
| 4th | 9 | Moden | 4 | Jenny Duggan | M N Howard | 57.5kg | $14.00 |
| 5th | 6 | Yes Yes Boss | 5 | Liberty Smyth | Carlos Antonio | 55kg | $12.00 |
| 6th | 8 | Crown Estate | 9 | Teighan Worsnop | R J Agnew | 57.5kg | $2.90 |
| 7th | 3 | Petroglyph | 8 | Jeff Kehoe | Terry Evans | 61kg | $6.00 |
| 8th | 4 | Brazen Brando | 6 | Kacie Adams | B M Lazzarini | 60kg | $8.00 |
| Scr | 5 | Raw Gold | 2 | T J Wicks | 59kg |
I'm Opinionated stands out on pure form with multiple placings including strong efforts at Port Macquarie and recent Taree 2nd. Second up stats supportive, barrier 6 ideal for tactical Port sprint where on-pace favoured.
Lacks win but superior exposure to most.
Regular racing, barrier 4 allows handy position on leader-favouring track. Outclasses unraced but winless record caps upside. Solid place claims.
The Third One debuts from in-form Lane yard with ideal draw 1 suiting on-pace bias. No form but stable/jockey combo reliable for country maidens.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 7 | I'm Opinionated | 6 | Lee Magorrian | D Lane | 57kg | $4.20 |
| 2nd | 2 | Carafe | 9 | Peter Graham | D Wagstaff | 57.5kg | $26.00 |
| 3rd | 1 | Starward | 4 | Leanne Boyd | Ms A Willick-McDonald | 56kg | $9.00 |
| 4th | 8 | Namara | 5 | Liberty Smyth | K A Lees | 53kg | $3.30 |
| 5th | 10 | The Third One | 1 | Grant Buckley | D Lane | 55.5kg | $10.00 |
| 6th | 5 | Ellofaby | 7 | Shae Wilkes | Ben Blay | 55.5kg | $15.00 |
| 7th | 3 | Nanotaq | 3 | Andrew Gibbons | K A Lees | 57.5kg | $3.70 |
| 8th | 4 | Zous Apollo | 10 | Liam Blanch | Paul Snowden | 57.5kg | $11.00 |
| Scr | 6 | Fox Charm | 2 | D Wagstaff | 57kg | ||
| Scr | 9 | Thunder Delight | 8 | Jenny Duggan | R A Bailey | 57kg |
Midfield position ideal for Port Macquarie's tight turns and fast tempo where backmarkers struggle (0% win rate).
Kickoff's barrier 1 positions her perfectly as likely leader on tactical Port Macquarie sprint track favouring forwards (leaders 25% win rate). Solid distance record (7 starts:1 win) and recent placings outweigh declining trend.
Still merits inclusion as fittest consistent runner ahead of first-uppers.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 8 | Kickoff | 1 | Andrew Gibbons | T J Bartley | 58kg | $5.50 |
| 2nd | 5 | Beebee | 4 | Jon Grisedale | T M Whittington | 59.5kg | $5.00 |
| 3rd | 6 | All Too Sneaky | 8 | Lee Magorrian | D Lane | 59kg | $4.20 |
| 4th | 10 | Our Warrior | 10 | Jenny Duggan | J A Sylvester | 57.5kg | $15.00 |
| 5th | 1 | Gold Melody | 11 | Leanne Boyd | Lyndall Olson | 57.5kg | $4.20 |
| 6th | 7 | Raw Gold | 2 | Grant Buckley | T J Wicks | 59kg | $13.00 |
| 7th | 4 | Corpsman | 12 | Grace Palmer | J A Sylvester | 56kg | $9.50 |
| 8th | 11 | Jevington Will Do | 5 | Kacie Adams | H R Dew | 56kg | $19.00 |
| 9th | 2 | Golden Cow | 6 | Liberty Smyth | Carlos Antonio | 56.5kg | $16.00 |
| Scr | 3 | Contrived | 9 | Shae Wilkes | Ms K Simpkins | 58.5kg | |
| Scr | 9 | Crown Estate | 7 | R J Agnew | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 12 | Dayu | 3 | Carlos Antonio | 56.5kg |
Barrier 2 is perfect for this tactical Port Macquarie track favouring forward runners. Fast tempo suits midfield sit-and-sprint style over backmarkers.
Warrant edges form assessment with 2 Good track wins from 9 and class drop. Barrier 3 positions perfectly as likely leader on pace-favouring Port Macquarie layout. Outclasses weaker BM50 field despite T/D blank.
Lord Akomeed's barrier 1 trumps form concerns; track record (1-2-0 from 7) proven here. Recent Coffs win shows ability at BM50 level. Midfield map ok in fast tempo; class drop and local knowledge outweigh sprint form dips.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4 | Think I'm Irish | 2 | D Wagstaff | 60.5kg | $3.50 | |
| 2nd | 2 | Amalfi Amore | 5 | Teighan Worsnop | Terry Evans | 61kg | $9.00 |
| 3rd | 1 | Warrant | 3 | Leanne Boyd | Ms A Willick-McDonald | 59.5kg | $7.00 |
| 4th | 9 | Gold Something | 7 | Jon Grisedale | Ms M De Gonneville | 55kg | $10.00 |
| 5th | 5 | Bold Rouge | 6 | Lee Magorrian | D Lane | 57kg | $4.60 |
| 6th | 8 | Rebel One | 8 | Kacie Adams | M J Robinson | 56kg | $6.00 |
| 7th | 10 | Lampkin Lane | 9 | Jeff Kehoe | Shane Everson | 55kg | $31.00 |
| 8th | 3 | Lord Akomeed | 1 | Liam Blanch | R N Godbolt | 61kg | $13.00 |
| 9th | 6 | Dayu | 4 | Liberty Smyth | Carlos Antonio | 52.5kg | $10.00 |
| Scr | 7 | Rivoli Star | 10 | Peter Graham | 56.5kg |
Before the races, not after
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