Punt like a Pro, without the know!
New Zealand · Sunday 22 February 2026
Our top pick won 0 of 8 races at Taupo. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
top pick wonanother tip wonno tip won
Lightly raced with consistent maiden form including recent 3rd on Soft 5 at 1600m. Low weight and barrier 5 ideal for Taupo's on-pace bias in moderate tempo staying race. Sam McNab booking adds intent. Best pure form profile in low-reliability BM58/maiden despite distance query.
Strong recent soft track form with places at 1560m-2100m suiting staying test. Light weight and barrier 6 perfect for tight Taupo circuit. Weatherley yard in form. Recent fitness edge over more exposed rivals in this maiden despite layoff. Solid place chance.
Best Taupo record including strong 2nd here at 1800m Heavy. Barrier 2 ideal for leaders' track with likely moderate tempo favouring on-pace. Recent wet placings (3rd Heavy, 4th Soft5) suit Soft5. Exposed but class drop and map advantages make place likely despite no wins.
Lightly raced 3yo hit career peak with recent 3rd at 1600m off soft. Doyle booking signals intent from O'Sullivan/Scott stable.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Camacho | 2 | Hayley Hassman | Ms D C Kennedy | 56.5kg | $5.70 |
| 2nd | 4 | Cosmic Pursuit | 5 | Sam McNab | A W Pike | 55.5kg | $5.10 |
| 3rd | 13 | La Danza | 6 | Tayla Mitchell | Darryn & Briar Weatherley | 55kg | $6.40 |
| 4th | 14 | Laura | 9 | Joe Doyle | L O'sullivan & A Scott | 56kg | $6.10 |
| 5th | 3 | Saltburn | 1 | Darren Danis | Josh King & Maija Vance | 58.5kg | $5.50 |
| 6th | 11 | Rekindle | 12 | Matthew Cartwright | S B Marsh | 56.5kg | $13.20 |
| 7th | 2 | Erase | 3 | Lynsey Satherley | S Ralph | 58.5kg | $19.70 |
| 8th | 9 | Thee Auld Trick | 8 | Samantha Collett | S B Marsh | 56.5kg | $17.80 |
| 9th | 8 | Curtsy | 4 | Masahiro Hashizume | Guy Lowry & Leah Zydenbos | 56.5kg | $10.90 |
| 10th | 6 | Arkadus | 11 | Corentin Berge | Mrs R Masters | 58.5kg | $31.90 |
| 11th | 12 | Whip De Do | 10 | Mark Irwin | 56.5kg | $57.30 | |
| Scr | 5 | Dun Talkin' | 13 | S Ritchie & C Murray | 58.5kg | ||
| Scr | 7 | Bowman | 14 | S Ritchie & C Murray | 58kg | ||
| Scr | 10 | Join The Dance | 7 | Rory Hutchings | Team Rogerson | 56.5kg | |
| Scr | 15 | Passion 'n' Pride | 2 | Craig Grylls | Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson | 56kg | |
| Scr | 16 | I Dunnet | 14 | K I Rae | 58kg |
Top pick on pure form. Elite black-type credentials including G1 4th and Listed win, now dropping sharply in class to Open. Perfectly suited first up (2:1-0-0), soft record (3:1-0-1), barrier 3 ideal for Taupo's leaders bias in 1200m sprint.
Strong current form threat with 75% place rate, dominant 1200m record and likely to lead on moderate tempo at leaders' track Taupo. Lacks wet exposure but superior recency and speed edges lightly raced rivals. Solid each-way despite class rise.
Consistent Marsh filly second up (2:0-1-1) with recent soft 3rd showing fitness. Soft record solid, barrier 5 ideal for Taupo on-pace bias. Trainer in double with #1, Pinn hot form. Reliable place chance in moderate Open.
Barrier 1 perfect for Taupo 1200m leaders track, elite Alexander stable, recent heavy 3rd proves wet suitability. Lightly raced with upside in weaker Open field.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4 | Lady Iris | 5 | Wiremu Pinn | S B Marsh | 56kg | $4.90 |
| 2nd | 1 | Little Black Dress | 3 | George Rooke | S B Marsh | 57kg | $2.10 |
| 3rd | 2 | Passiflora | 7 | Craig Grylls | S Ramsay & J Ritchie | 57kg | $3.50 |
| 4th | 3 | Lucy In The Sky | 6 | Warren Kennedy | A W Pike | 57kg | $4.20 |
| Scr | 5 | Alacritous | 4 | S B Marsh | 56kg | ||
| Scr | 6 | O'sweet Darling | 2 | C K Ormsby | 56kg | ||
| Scr | 7 | Eliza James | 2 | K I Rae | 56kg | ||
| Scr | 8 | Rioja | 1 | S & K Alexander | 55kg |
Barrier 2 perfectly suits Taupo's tight sprint track favouring inside on-pacers. Likely leader per speed map in moderate-fast tempo. Soft 5 OK from limited exposure.
Rioja lightly raced 3yo from powerhouse S&K Alexander yard, placed 3rd on heavy Pukekohe debut (1200m). First-up stats for stable strong; Hashizume excellent 33% combo. Soft 5 suits prior heavy run. Speed map midfield suits moderate tempo; Taupo leaders bias not critical with tactical speed likely.
Debutant Marie Antoinette from in-form L O'Sullivan/A Scott stable (multiple runners today). Premium jockey Warren Kennedy (25% Taupo limited sample, 15% recent) signals intent. No penalising lack of form per maiden rules; proxy eval strong on trainer/jockey. Midfield map ideal for Taupo Soft 5 sprint.
Ocean Opal debutant with outstanding jockey/trainer combo: Cartwright 22% for Marsh, 57% Taupo strike. Barrier 3 ideal for leaders-biased Taupo 1100m Soft 5. Value overlay in high-volatility maiden.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 10 | Party Time | 6 | Samantha Collett | C W Cole | 56kg | $6.70 |
| 2nd | 7 | Rioja | 7 | Masahiro Hashizume | S & K Alexander | 56kg | $3.30 |
| 3rd | 11 | Ocean Opal | 3 | Matthew Cartwright | S B Marsh | 56kg | $12.40 |
| 4th | 1 | Deep Pursuit | 2 | Sam McNab | A W Pike | 55.5kg | $3.10 |
| 5th | 3 | Centurial | 11 | Hayley Hassman | Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson | 56kg | $15.90 |
| 6th | 5 | Run Don't Walk | 5 | Rory Hutchings | L O'sullivan & A Scott | 56.5kg | $16.90 |
| 7th | 4 | Ballbeena | 9 | Joe Doyle | P S Richards | 56.5kg | $35.30 |
| 8th | 9 | Rybakina | 4 | George Rooke | S Ritchie & C Murray | 56kg | $16.10 |
| 9th | 6 | Marie Antoinette | 8 | Warren Kennedy | L O'sullivan & A Scott | 56.5kg | $8.90 |
| 10th | 2 | My Faith | 1 | Lynsey Satherley | S Ralph | 58.5kg | $59.20 |
| Scr | 8 | Proud Capitalist | 9 | Craig Grylls | S B Marsh | 56kg | |
| Scr | 12 | Sharp Impact | 10 | L O'sullivan & A Scott | 56kg |
Alacritous tops form assessment as lightly raced 3yo with win on heavy track (Heavy 9 Matamata) suiting today's Soft 5. Barrier 1 perfect for Taupo 1100m leaders bias with short straight. First up from 284-day spell but Walker/Bergerson stable excels fresh; filly beat rivals dropping from Open to BM65.
Carsolio strong Taupo performer (1:1-0-0 at track) with heavy wins suiting Soft 5 conditions. Second up from spell after poor Ellerslie run; prior Listed 5th and synthetic 2nd show class edge dropping to BM65. Barrier 6 midfield map ok in moderate-fast tempo. Solid form backup to leader despite recent 9th.
Sesimbra maps as leader from barrier 2 (likely leader per speed map) on leaders-biased Taupo sprint track. Soft record solid (2:2-0-0 from 6) for Soft 5; dropping from BM75 with prior Wanganui sprint win. Recent form ordinary but pace edge and inside draw provide chance in moderate-fast tempo.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Sesimbra | 2 | Jack Taplin | S Ramsay & J Ritchie | 55.5kg | $6.00 |
| 2nd | 1 | Carsolio | 6 | Hayley Hassman | Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson | 57kg | $3.70 |
| 3rd | 3 | Timbuctoo | 4 | Rory Hutchings | Team Rogerson | 58.5kg | $7.10 |
| 4th | 6 | Alacritous | 1 | Craig Grylls | S B Marsh | 57kg | $3.10 |
| 5th | 4 | Unison | 3 | Sam McNab | Nick Kneebone | 55.5kg | $5.30 |
| 6th | 8 | Eliza James | 5 | George Rooke | K I Rae | 55.5kg | $9.40 |
| Scr | 5 | Liechtenstein | 7 | A W Pike | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 7 | Sassalita | 7 | Samantha Collett | P W Lock | 57kg |
Pinky Pie stands out in this weak maiden with superior depth of form - 8 placings from 14 starts including recent 3rd at Tauranga 1400m. Cartwright/Marsh team elite (22% combo), barrier 5 ideal for midfield run on Taupo's tight track. Soft track form solid, class drop helps.
Forsman/Grylls combination strong (19%), recent fitness better than most. Suits moderate tempo as midfield type.
Ruby Rush maps ideally from barrier 1 as likely leader on Taupo's on-pace bias. Recent 3rd at 1400m shows staying power, Doyle booking upgrade. Better than 7th when barrier disadvantaged. Solid each-way chance in moderate tempo race.
Proxy evaluation favors over longer shots.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 6 | Ruby Rush | 1 | Joe Doyle | L O'sullivan & A Scott | 56kg | $4.00 |
| 2nd | 7 | Dorothea | 3 | George Rooke | Ms P Gerard | 56kg | $5.40 |
| 3rd | 8 | Wanganella | 8 | Craig Grylls | Andrew Forsman | 56kg | $3.20 |
| 4th | 3 | I Dunnet | 4 | Jack Taplin | K I Rae | 55kg | $32.20 |
| 5th | 1 | Graham Francis | 9 | Sienna Brown | P Adlington | 54.5kg | $20.30 |
| 6th | 9 | Hullabaloo | 7 | Samantha Collett | Maxim & Samantha Van Lierde | 56kg | $9.40 |
| 7th | 5 | Pinky Pie | 5 | Matthew Cartwright | S B Marsh | 56.5kg | $5.60 |
| 8th | 4 | Teams | 2 | Rory Hutchings | K A Pertab | 58kg | $15.20 |
| 9th | 2 | Gnats Whisker | 6 | Lynsey Satherley | L R Gussey | 58.5kg | $85.30 |
Moderate tempo suits midfield map. Best pure form horse.
Our Solana shows consistent maiden form (6:0-2-1) with placings on soft (2:0-1-1), second up today where record is solid (0-1-0). Barrier 5 suits Taupo on-pace bias, recent 4th after spell indicates fitness. Reliable placegetter in high-volatility maiden, strong next best.
Samantha Collett (18% Taupo wins) mitigates barrier 8 on leaders' track. Improving 64 pattern suits maiden volatility, good third option with upside.
Barrier 6 and Taupo specialist jockey Berge (40%) suit moderate tempo.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 7 | Our Solana | 5 | Craig Grylls | S B Marsh | 56.5kg | $4.50 |
| 2nd | 3 | Bellish Boy | 1 | Opie Bosson | Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson | 58kg | $2.40 |
| 3rd | 8 | Astrum | 9 | Masahiro Hashizume | K & B Kelso | 56.5kg | $6.90 |
| 4th | 1 | He's Divine | 3 | Tayla Mitchell | Tarissa Macdonald | 57.5kg | $11.20 |
| 5th | 9 | Acropolis | 8 | Samantha Collett | S Ramsay & J Ritchie | 56kg | $5.80 |
| 6th | 2 | Shookmeallnightlon | 7 | George Rooke | D J Miller | 58.5kg | $29.10 |
| 7th | 6 | Measure Up | 4 | Jack Taplin | P P Mirabelli | 55kg | $48.70 |
| 8th | 5 | Theonewekept | 2 | Joe Doyle | Ben & Ryan Foote | 58kg | $9.90 |
| Scr | 4 | Granger | 6 | Corentin Berge | Danny Walker & Arron Tata | 58kg |
Savaglee tops form assessment with superior class history including multiple G1/G2 wins, excellent soft record (4-0-1 from 6), and 3-0-1 from 6 at 1400m. Second up after solid fitness run 15 days ago suits Taupo's moderate-fast tempo.
First up stats decent, elite connections, and class drop from G3. Soft experience ok but recent form dip tempers enthusiasm behind Savaglee's superior black-type edge.
First up record supports despite long break.
Better than recent poor form suggests on historical wet stats.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Captured By Love | 1 | Opie Bosson | Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson | 59kg | $3.00 |
| 2nd | 6 | Financier | 5 | George Rooke | S B Marsh | 54kg | $9.00 |
| 3rd | 5 | Blissful Belle | 2 | Samantha Collett | J G Bary | 54kg | $13.90 |
| 4th | 1 | Savaglee | 6 | Sam McNab | Ms P Gerard | 59kg | $1.60 |
| 5th | 4 | Uderzo | 3 | Joe Doyle | L O'sullivan & A Scott | 55kg | $14.00 |
| Scr | 3 | Positivity | 4 | Craig Grylls | Andrew Forsman | 56.5kg |
Top Dollar stands out on pure form with a BM65 win at Taupo over 2000m on Soft 5 just 22 days ago, carrying 58kg. Has 4:1-0-0 on soft tracks and won at this track previously. Regular racing with 5 top-3 in last 12 starts. Moderate tempo at Taupo staying suits handy runners.
Limited starts but consistent placings. Barrier 3 ideal for Taupo's tight turns. Soft record modest but recent fitness strong. Not top form pick due to unproven distance/track but high class potential.
Strong form angle with win at exact Taupo 1800m on Soft 5 last month from barrier 1. Barrier 5 still advantageous on leaders' track. Lightly raced with upside stepping up. Recent 2100m flop forgivable at higher class. Moderate tempo suits.
Value roughy with strong Taupo record (4:1-0-1) and 1800m+ stats (3:1-0-1). Wet performer (18 wet starts, 1 win) suits Soft 5. Recent 3rd at 1950m soft. Low 54kg helps. Taupo staying bias + moderate tempo could suit if maps midfield.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 5 | Crown Princess | 3 | Opie Bosson | Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson | 57.5kg | $1.90 |
| 2nd | 6 | Lucan | 2 | Lynsey Satherley | Debbie Sweeney | 57.5kg | $22.30 |
| 3rd | 11 | Clew Bay | 1 | Craig Grylls | S B Marsh | 55kg | $9.60 |
| 4th | 7 | Sol De Otono | 4 | Masahiro Hashizume | Guy Lowry & Leah Zydenbos | 57kg | $15.40 |
| 5th | 3 | Arundel Castle | 9 | Sam McNab | Darryn & Briar Weatherley | 55kg | $17.30 |
| 6th | 9 | Reinstatement | 6 | Hayley Hassman | Ms K A Hoskin | 54kg | $17.10 |
| 7th | 8 | Ivy's Dancer | 11 | Rory Hutchings | L O'sullivan & A Scott | 56kg | $11.50 |
| 8th | 1 | Top Dollar | 7 | George Rooke | S Ritchie & C Murray | 60kg | $9.60 |
| 9th | 4 | Shamwari | 12 | Samantha Collett | M G Forbes | 58kg | $19.50 |
| 10th | 10 | Protheatrics | 8 | Matthew Cartwright | Debbie Sweeney | 55.5kg | $39.20 |
| 11th | 12 | Mood Painter | 10 | Ms P Gerard | 54kg | $38.50 | |
| 12th | 2 | Star Warrior | 5 | Joe Doyle | D R Wiles | 58.5kg | $24.00 |
| Scr | 13 | Orange River | 13 | Team Rogerson | 54kg |
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.