Punt like a Pro, without the know!
South Australia · Wednesday 15 April 2026
Our top pick won 3 of 8 races at Balaklava. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
top pick wonanother tip wonno tip won
Big Brute tops form assessment with recent 1400m win on identical Good 4 conditions, strong distance record (5:1-1-1) and perfect Balaklava record (1:1-0-0). Barrier 2 perfectly suits track's strong leader bias where front 3 at 400m dominate. Likely to lead or sit handy in fast tempo.
Second up form strong after solid Balaklava 4th last start. Todd Pannell booking major upgrade. Maps midfield to utilise Balaklava's long straight in fast tempo. Progressive type suited to leader-biased track.
Balaklava track specialist with excellent record (6:2-1-0) and ideal barrier 5 for inside bias. Teagan Voorham's 29% strike rate with horse adds confidence. Recent 1400m form solid despite last start fade. Maps forward in speed map to exploit leader bias at venue where on-pace dominates.
Recent places include 1400m 2nd. Good track specialist (20:4-4-4) who can finish strongly off fast tempo.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Big Brute | 2 | Sophie Potter | Chris Bieg | 59.5kg | $2.00 |
| 2nd | 4 | Gruelling | 5 | Teagan Voorham | G & N Searle & B Callanan | 58.5kg | $3.40 |
| 3rd | 3 | Miss Kermie | 7 | Brooke King | Sarah Rutten | 57.5kg | $10.00 |
| 4th | 5 | Hallstatt | 1 | Will Price | Hannah Bryce | 56kg | $26.00 |
| 5th | 7 | My Crackling | 4 | Lauren Stojakovic | B J Jones | 54kg | $31.00 |
| 6th | 6 | Make Me A Star | 6 | Todd Pannell | M J Seyers | 56kg | $4.40 |
| 7th | 2 | Sandastan | 3 | Sairyn Fawke | Garret Lynch | 59.5kg | $61.00 |
Significant class drop from Listed enhances prospects in moderate-slow tempo Class 1 staying race. Pannell booking adds intent despite limited starts. Form trumps overlays in this leader-favouring setup.
Barrier 1 is gold at leader-biased Balaklava (1-6 barriers 18% win rate), with proven track/distance record of 4:0-1-1 including near-misses. Recent form consistent (4th Strathalbyn, 2nd Balaklava Soft6), midfield map suits moderate-slow tempo. Class rise offset by draw advantage over backmarkers in positional bias track.
Barrier 2 and likely leader role perfectly match Balaklava's front 3 at 400m bias. Topweight a query but draw/speed map advantages outweigh in compressed weights and moderate tempo staying race.
Barrier 4 ideal, class drop from Rest58, Jolly stable reliable.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 8 | Fringes | 3 | Todd Pannell | Michael Hickmott | 56kg | $3.40 |
| 2nd | 5 | Harsh | 4 | Jake Toeroek | R & C Jolly | 57kg | $2.60 |
| 3rd | 4 | Captain Love | 1 | Jason Holder | Ms K Letts-Maund | 57kg | $5.50 |
| 4th | 7 | The Punk Rocker | 7 | Matthew Chadwick | Shane & Cassie Oxlade | 55kg | $11.00 |
| 5th | 2 | Borchard | 5 | Shuichi Terachi | Ms L Conlon | 58kg | $31.00 |
| 6th | 6 | Kohala | 8 | Sairyn Fawke | Kate Halliday | 57kg | $41.00 |
| 7th | 1 | Landmark Alley | 2 | Will Price | Kimberley Boyce | 59kg | $8.00 |
| 8th | 3 | Valued | 6 | Tala Hutchinson | Garret Lynch | 56kg | $15.00 |
Barrier 7 workable on leader-biased Balaklava sprint; light weight and class drop key positives.
7 starts show consistency (2 places), good track record 3:0-0-0. Wide draw and backmarker style risk on leader-biased track tempers enthusiasm but raw speed makes top pick.
Roadking debutant not penalised per rules; proxy strong with Jason Holder (25% last 20, 6% track) and barrier 6 ideal for Balaklava leader bias/midfield map. No data limitations outweigh stable/jockey intent in high-volatility maiden sprint.
Pannell upgrade huge positive; first up stats neutral but track familiarity key.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 7 | Cosmic Interlude | 2 | Alysha Warren | Sarah Rutten | 53kg | $5.50 |
| 2nd | 6 | Musical Sunset | 9 | Todd Pannell | D J Stone | 56kg | $4.80 |
| 3rd | 9 | Minya Murra | 1 | Rochelle Milnes | Sarah Rutten | 55kg | $14.00 |
| 4th | 3 | Vamore | 3 | Teagan Voorham | G & N Searle & B Callanan | 58kg | $13.00 |
| 5th | 1 | Now East | 10 | Tala Hutchinson | Chris Martin | 56kg | $4.80 |
| 6th | 5 | Dragon Fish | 5 | Brooke King | J Dunn & K Bishop | 54.5kg | $31.00 |
| 7th | 4 | Roadking | 6 | Jason Holder | Ms R Day | 57kg | $3.00 |
| 8th | 8 | Fairline | 4 | Jackson Murphy | Ms R Day | 55kg | $41.00 |
| 9th | 10 | Unclothed | 7 | Ashvin Goindasamy | J Dunn & K Bishop | 55kg | $21.00 |
| 10th | 2 | Radiant Knight | 8 | Dominic Tourneur | Matthew Raymond Barkla | 58kg | $26.00 |
Silent Legacy shows strongest recent form in this maiden with consistent placings including a recent 2nd at Strathalbyn. Barrier 8 allows midfield settling on fast-tempo leader-biased Balaklava track. Top win chance in low-class maiden.
Barrier 6 perfect for inside positional bias, midfield map suits fast tempo. Jason Holder/Gluyas combo elite (12% SR). Second up from spell with track form overrides lack of win.
Debutant Winning All Round drawn ideally in barrier 3 for Balaklava's pronounced inside/leader bias (front 3 at 400m win 3x rate of midfield). Speed map flags as likely leader. Taylor Johnstone excellent track record (11% SR). Per proxy evaluation: trainer/jockey combo solid, barrier trumps lack of form in volatile maiden. Each-way value if holds speed.
Pannell (top jockey, 20% recent) books intent from Hickmott stable. Light 55kg, likely forward settling.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 10 | Alpine Lee | 6 | Jason Holder | A J Gluyas | 55kg | $12.00 |
| 2nd | 8 | Winning All Round | 3 | Taylor Johnstone | Aaron Bain & Ned Taylor | 57kg | $3.90 |
| 3rd | 7 | Silent Legacy | 8 | Will Price | Kimberley Boyce | 57kg | $2.60 |
| 4th | 11 | Copperflange | 2 | Todd Pannell | Michael Hickmott | 55kg | $3.80 |
| 5th | 5 | Mizzen Jib | 1 | Caitlin Jones | Sarah Rutten | 57kg | $26.00 |
| 6th | 12 | Pequena Gold | 4 | Teagan Voorham | Ms Jessica Tzaferis | 55kg | $26.00 |
| 7th | 4 | Kumaru | 7 | Andrew Stead | Travis Doudle | 57kg | $61.00 |
| 8th | 3 | Paganini | 9 | Dominic Tourneur | Jon O'Connor | 58kg | $10.00 |
| 9th | 6 | Rock Shot | 5 | Margaret Collett | Justin Pickering | 57kg | $91.00 |
| 10th | 9 | Sweet Kick | 11 | S H Sit | Chris Bieg | 53kg | $61.00 |
| 11th | 1 | California Comets | 12 | Brooke King | Kristi Evans | 56.5kg | $101.00 |
| Scr | 2 | La Perentie | 10 | Matthew Chadwick | John Hyam | 56kg |
Ideal for Balaklava's front-three 400m bias.
True debutant (0 starts) not penalised per rules; barrier 3 exploits moderate inside bias (20% win rate barriers 1-6). Balaklava leader bias and likely fast tempo favour forward settler; proxy evaluation (trainer/jockey + barrier) rates highly despite data absence. Strong top-3 contender ahead of beaten maidens.
Barrier 2 and Todd Pannell booking elevate Arizona Wildfire in leader-biased Balaklava maiden. 3yo drops class significantly after unplaced metro runs; light 57kg and likely forward settling suit fast tempo/on-pace bias. Solid place chance in volatile race.
Maiden value play in sprint-like volatility.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Harrino | 1 | Campbell Rawiller | Kate Halliday | 58kg | $3.20 |
| 2nd | 6 | Sir Castleton | 8 | Ashvin Goindasamy | Paul Carey | 57kg | $9.50 |
| 3rd | 10 | Goodwin Guru | 11 | Taylor Johnstone | A J Gluyas | 55kg | $20.00 |
| 4th | 2 | Lunar Vista | 10 | Stacey Metcalfe | G Dimitropoulos | 58kg | $9.00 |
| 5th | 11 | Minimise | 3 | Rochelle Milnes | M W Lewis | 55kg | $8.50 |
| 6th | 12 | Royal Muse | 12 | Lauren Stojakovic | David Jolly & Justin Potter | 55kg | $101.00 |
| 7th | 5 | Scootathewoota | 9 | Caitlin Jones | Kristi Evans | 57kg | $3.40 |
| 8th | 7 | Valor Bound | 6 | Andrew Stead | Jon O'Connor | 57kg | $21.00 |
| 9th | 3 | Starcho Libre | 5 | Sairyn Fawke | Justin Pickering | 58kg | $8.00 |
| 10th | 4 | Arizona Wildfire | 2 | Todd Pannell | S & J Jaensch | 57kg | $26.00 |
| Scr | 8 | Miss Puissance | 7 | Teagan Voorham | Ms K Letts-Maund | 56kg | |
| Scr | 9 | Our Audio | 4 | Matthew Chadwick | John Hyam | 54kg |
Bolted In's track affinity (6:2-1-0, T/D winner) perfectly matches Balaklava's on-pace bias. Slight class drop adds appeal despite barrier 7 needing luck in leader-dominated circuit.
Barrier 3 positions Midlife Crisis to exploit Balaklava's front-three 400m dominance. Consistent pattern (33% win/place) and Good 4 record suit conditions, though class rise tempers enthusiasm vs proven locals.
Swycho tops form assessment with barrier 2 ideally suiting Balaklava's strong leader bias where inside draws (1-6) win 18%+. Recent Morphettville 1600m formlines superior despite result.
Recent track form (1st-3rd) suits bias despite wide draw 11 requiring luck in fast tempo.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Midlife Crisis | 3 | S H Sit | Kirsten Mooney | 58.5kg | $5.00 |
| 2nd | 8 | Bolted In | 7 | Campbell Rawiller | M J Seyers | 58.5kg | $7.00 |
| 3rd | 4 | Duo Perna | 11 | Teagan Voorham | Ms S Brennan | 60kg | $6.50 |
| 4th | 6 | Top Of The Ridge | 8 | Stacey Metcalfe | S & J Jaensch | 60kg | $4.20 |
| 5th | 12 | Loca Bella | 12 | Taylor Johnstone | A J Gluyas | 55kg | $6.50 |
| 6th | 2 | Cascade Mountain | 6 | Jake Toeroek | Wayne Brown | 61kg | $20.00 |
| 7th | 7 | Black Sea | 1 | Jason Holder | Aaron Bain & Ned Taylor | 59kg | $7.50 |
| 8th | 3 | Super Valentine | 9 | Brooke King | J Dunn & K Bishop | 59kg | $21.00 |
| 9th | 9 | Lumber Dream | 5 | Sairyn Fawke | Garret Lynch | 58.5kg | $13.00 |
| 10th | 10 | Razella | 10 | Rochelle Milnes | J Dunn & K Bishop | 56kg | $26.00 |
| Scr | 5 | Swycho | 2 | Todd Pannell | Michael Hickmott | 60kg | |
| Scr | 11 | Enlist | 4 | Alysha Warren | M J Seyers | 53kg |
Second-up stats strong (1 win from 1), lightly raced 3yo with upward trajectory. Barrier 10 workable from midfield in very fast tempo suiting Balaklava's leader bias.
Barrier 5 perfect for Balaklava inside bias (1-6 win 20%). Gawler win proves BM58 suitability, midfield settling suits very fast tempo and track's front-three 400m dominance.
Local specialist with excellent Balaklava stats (5:1-1-0, recent win barrier 6). Very fast tempo may suit closing speed.
Recent Port Lincoln win from barrier 1 shows forward ability perfect for Balaklava bias. Barrier 4 ideal, distance record excellent (6:2-1-1). Improving trend outweighs no track exp; likely leader in fast tempo suits track pattern.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 11 | Exotic Dancer | 2 | Teagan Voorham | Ms Jessica Tzaferis | 57kg | $11.00 |
| 2nd | 9 | Good Expectations | 10 | Jake Toeroek | M J Seyers | 58kg | $3.40 |
| 3rd | 8 | Percidian | 5 | Rochelle Milnes | M W Lewis | 58.5kg | $4.40 |
| 4th | 5 | I Am Ralph | 1 | Will Price | Sarah Rutten | 59.5kg | $21.00 |
| 5th | 3 | Zenacity | 11 | Campbell Rawiller | Ms C Rose | 60kg | $21.00 |
| 6th | 2 | Raymond's Reward | 3 | Sairyn Fawke | T R Montgomerie | 61.5kg | $14.00 |
| 7th | 10 | Stolen Kiss | 7 | Caitlin Jones | P Stokes | 58kg | $8.00 |
| 8th | 6 | Never Surrender | 8 | Jason Holder | A J Gluyas | 59kg | $5.50 |
| 9th | 1 | Olive Baguette | 4 | Tala Hutchinson | Garret Lynch | 60kg | $8.50 |
| 10th | 4 | Bjarne | 6 | Todd Pannell | B J Jones | 59.5kg | $61.00 |
| Scr | 7 | Takeover Lad | 9 | Wayne Brown | 59kg | ||
| Scr | 12 | Los Alamoss | 3 | Scott Whittle | 56kg |
Royal Trapeze tops form assessment with prime barrier 1 positioning it to lead/control on leader-biased Balaklava sprint track. Very fast tempo and inside draw override minor distance/weight concerns for clearest winning pattern.
Zoutrail earns 2nd pick via recent Balaklava 1050m Rest.56 2nd showing suitability, consistent form trend, and Jolly stable edge.
Speed map flags as likely leader suiting Balaklava bias despite inconsistent finishes; sprint volatility and on-pace edge provide upset potential in fast tempo.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 6 | Winning Aura | 2 | Stacey Metcalfe | Ms L Brander | 57.5kg | $41.00 |
| 2nd | 9 | Whoops A Daisy | 11 | Dominic Tourneur | Kristi Evans | 55.5kg | $5.00 |
| 3rd | 5 | Zoutrail | 9 | Jake Toeroek | R & C Jolly | 58kg | $3.20 |
| 4th | 1 | Royal Trapeze | 1 | Jackson Murphy | Stephen Theodore | 60kg | $4.00 |
| 5th | 10 | Avanzo | 3 | Teagan Voorham | Sarah Rutten | 54.5kg | $8.50 |
| 6th | 8 | Lightly Sparkled | 4 | Alyssa Webb | Garret Lynch | 53kg | $51.00 |
| 7th | 7 | Astromancer | 6 | Brooke King | Ms H J Smith | 55.5kg | $21.00 |
| 8th | 15 | Inner Sanctum | 5 | Polly Brewster | Danny Penna | 51kg | $101.00 |
| 9th | 11 | Lady Emilia | 12 | Margaret Collett | Ms M Hodge | 54.5kg | $101.00 |
| 10th | 14 | Crown Moshe | 10 | Shuichi Terachi | J Hickmott & C Riggs | 54kg | $61.00 |
| Scr | 2 | Tanna | 11 | R Daniel & T Stanbury | 60kg | ||
| Scr | 3 | Princess Now | 14 | Garret Lynch | 58.5kg | ||
| Scr | 4 | Miss Sghirripa | 8 | Lauren Stojakovic | Shane & Cassie Oxlade | 58kg | |
| Scr | 12 | Hayzee Fantayzee | 7 | Rochelle Milnes | J Dunn & K Bishop | 54kg | |
| Scr | 13 | Emmooki Magic | 15 | Scott Whittle | 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.