Punt like a Pro, without the know!
Victoria · Saturday 9 May 2026
Our top pick won 3 of 8 races at Ararat. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
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Barrier 3 suits Ararat's directional front-three bias at 400m. Untested on soft but class drop from metro trials to country maiden boosts prospects in moderate tempo. Best pure form profile despite limited exposure.
Barrier 5 ideal for midfield run in Ararat's position-biased track. Class drop and Maher's country success outweigh no maiden wins yet. Strong proxy via trainer/jockey combo despite soft track query.
Best soft record in field (5:0-1-1) suits Soft 6. Tom Madden excels at Ararat (26% strike). Backmarker style risks in position-biased track but recent fitness and distance experience make solid place claim.
Inside gate trumps soft track inexperience in maiden where pace control key.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 9 | High Altitude | 7 | Tom Madden | Clint Marshall | 57.5kg | $14.00 |
| 2nd | 7 | Adira River | 5 | Cian Macredmond | C Maher | 57.5kg | $3.80 |
| 3rd | 5 | Play Bouzouki | 1 | Shayleigh Ingelse | P A Preusker | 59.5kg | $4.20 |
| 4th | 3 | Gracconi | 3 | Lachlan King | M W Walker | 59.5kg | $3.90 |
| 5th | 1 | Brighthill | 2 | Liana Wood | Jack Laing | 55.5kg | $8.00 |
| 6th | 4 | Nikephoros | 9 | Logan McNeil | D M Noonan | 59.5kg | $26.00 |
| 7th | 6 | Storming Camelot | 4 | Jack Hill | S V Brown | 59.5kg | $4.80 |
| 8th | 2 | Fear No One | 10 | Brendon Newport | Carly Cook | 59.5kg | $151.00 |
| 9th | 10 | Miss Solar Hart | 6 | Chelsea Taylor | Ms H Burns | 57.5kg | $61.00 |
| 10th | 11 | Princess Valora | 8 | Christine Puls | B & A McKnight | 57.5kg | $101.00 |
| Scr | 8 | Companera | 11 | Tayla Cameron | Rachel Samsonenko | 53.5kg |
Fast tempo and leader bias at Ararat suit her closing pattern despite wide draw. Soft 6 unproven but good form (4:0-0-2) carries weight in low-class race.
Unbeaten on soft (2:0-0-2) matches today's Soft 6 perfectly. Barrier 3 positions her to exploit Ararat's leader advantage (33% win rate). Hayes/Yendall team reliable in maidens. Recent placings show consistency; fast tempo won't hurt forward runner. Strong place claims even if win eludes.
Preusker/Gordon combo reliable; Gordon excels at track. Leader in speed map suits Ararat bias despite wide gate. Soft/heavy exposure (3:0-0-2 combined) handles conditions.
Distance specialist (5:0-1-2) with soft exposure. Wide draw hurts on leader-biased track but fast tempo could give her cover/run.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 15 | Hot Stepping Hippy | 4 | Jack Hill | Simon Zahra | 57.5kg | $9.00 |
| 2nd | 4 | Giddy Up Bankcheck | 8 | Ryan Hurdle | Craig Stewart | 59.5kg | $31.00 |
| 3rd | 17 | Havilah | 1 | Ricky & Kristy Bruhn | 57.5kg | $61.00 | |
| 4th | 14 | Wavelets | 11 | Neil Farley | Thomas Carberry | 57.5kg | $2.35 |
| 5th | 16 | Boulderoo | 7 | Paul Gatt | Andrew Bobbin | 59.5kg | $21.00 |
| 6th | 6 | Spike Almighty | 13 | Campbell Rawiller | Sharni Julian | 59.5kg | $7.50 |
| 7th | 11 | Playful As | 3 | Dean Yendall | Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | 57.5kg | $4.40 |
| 8th | 8 | Atlantic Lace | 9 | Sarah Robbins | W P Cerchi | 57.5kg | $201.00 |
| 9th | 12 | Saraya | 16 | Lachlan King | Nathan Hobson | 57.5kg | $51.00 |
| 10th | 2 | Cool Bee Bee | 10 | Will Gordon | P A Preusker | 59.5kg | $7.00 |
| 11th | 5 | Mapleton Hill | 15 | Cian Macredmond | Andrew Bobbin | 59.5kg | $51.00 |
| 12th | 18 | Kentucky Hustle | 6 | Ben Kennedy | Lloyd Kennewell | 59.5kg | $18.00 |
| Scr | 1 | Big Luck | 5 | Kate Walters | Wayne Walters | 59.5kg | |
| Scr | 3 | Dark Galaxy | 12 | Tom Madden | Dean Williams | 59.5kg | |
| Scr | 7 | Warrego | 2 | Cian Macredmond | C Maher | 59.5kg | |
| Scr | 9 | Immortal One | 14 | Tyler Donaldson-Aitken | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 10 | Majestic Choice | 17 | Lloyd Kennewell | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 13 | Think About Her | 14 | Dean Yendall | Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | 57.5kg |
Fierce Dreams tops form assessment with 60% place rate, consistent recent 2nds/3rds in maidens including Ararat place.
Maiden race debutant not penalised for lack of form per rules. McEvoy stable + Yendall (strong country combo) + barrier 6/55kg perfect for fast tempo Ararat sprint. Proxy eval (40% trainer/30% jockey/30% pedigree) rates highly; likely leader suits directional front bias. Solid place chance ahead of other unraced.
Barrier 2 helps despite backmarker projection; Maher prep + improving 2yo profile outweighs recency.
Second up from spell (2:0-0-1 record), recent fitness run excuses poor finish; prior 1100m 3rds + wet form viable on Soft 6. Barrier trumps wide-drawn rivals like Entitle.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 8 | Fierce Dreams | 7 | Adam Mc Cabe | Nick Ryan | 57.5kg | $4.60 |
| 2nd | 9 | Lucky Single | 15 | Joe Bowditch | M W Walker | 57.5kg | $3.50 |
| 3rd | 13 | Del Lirenza | 6 | Dean Yendall | T & C McEvoy | 55kg | $13.00 |
| 4th | 14 | Rudolfina | 2 | Cian Macredmond | C Maher | 55kg | $6.50 |
| 5th | 10 | Poised | 1 | Ben Kennedy | Lloyd Kennewell | 57.5kg | $26.00 |
| 6th | 15 | Pee Plater | 14 | V L Malady | 59.5kg | $101.00 | |
| 7th | 2 | Egerton Reef | 5 | Neil Farley | W Morrissey | 59.5kg | $16.00 |
| 8th | 18 | Flying Nic | 12 | Cian Macredmond | Andrew Bobbin | 57.5kg | $71.00 |
| 9th | 11 | Sorcha | 8 | Chelsea Taylor | S V Brown | 57.5kg | $91.00 |
| 10th | 17 | Dachshund | 10 | Ms M Wells | 59.5kg | $151.00 | |
| 11th | 7 | Entitle | 16 | Brendon Newport | W P Cerchi | 57.5kg | $91.00 |
| 12th | 6 | You'remywonderwall | 3 | Will Gordon | Mathew Smerdon | 59.5kg | $3.00 |
| 13th | 12 | Throne Of Grace | 9 | Christine Puls | Clint Marshall | 57.5kg | $91.00 |
| Scr | 1 | Dimachaerus | 13 | Jack Hill | T Fitzsimmons | 59.5kg | |
| Scr | 3 | Harry De Lad | 18 | Paul Gatt | Tom Dabernig | 59.5kg | |
| Scr | 4 | Lunar Orbit | 17 | Ryan Hurdle | Archie Alexander | 59.5kg | |
| Scr | 5 | Renege | 4 | Tom Madden | Thomas Conlan | 59.5kg | |
| Scr | 16 | Nitro Sonic | 11 | Lachlan King | Jason Warren | 57kg |
Soft track record 3:0-1-1 acceptable.
Wide draw offset by likely fast tempo suiting backmarkers per track bias. Not top form pick due to Zamora's recency edge but strong place claims.
Barrier 6 ideal on position-driven Ararat sprint, dropping in class. Soft track unproven but fast tempo may suit speed. Recent form steady, fitness edge over spellers.
Class drop key, recent form includes placings, gear change intriguing. Fast tempo/track bias for closers suits despite barrier 10.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 15 | Olivia's Scandal | 12 | Chelsea Taylor | Jordy Coffey | 61kg | $6.00 |
| 2nd | 1 | Zamora | 3 | Dylan Dean | C J Cassar | 60kg | $5.00 |
| 3rd | 10 | Les Vosges | 1 | Kate Walters | K M Elford | 56.5kg | $26.00 |
| 4th | 2 | Give Some Lip | 2 | Dean Yendall | Reece Goodwin | 60.5kg | $3.80 |
| 5th | 6 | Mum 'n' Me | 4 | Will Gordon | P Kearney | 59kg | $31.00 |
| 6th | 3 | Long Lost Friend | 13 | Jack Hill | M J O'Donnell | 60kg | $5.50 |
| 7th | 4 | Danerich Dan | 14 | Liana Wood | R J Besanko | 55.5kg | $31.00 |
| 8th | 11 | The Last Judgement | 9 | Melissa Julius | Ms H Burns | 56kg | $51.00 |
| 9th | 7 | Tundra | 11 | Tom Madden | Joanne Mugavin | 59kg | $14.00 |
| 10th | 8 | Whitson | 10 | Ryan Hurdle | Ann-Jeanette Tindale | 58kg | $16.00 |
| 11th | 9 | Fugacity | 6 | Neil Farley | Rodney Foster | 57kg | $14.00 |
| 12th | 13 | Ask For More | 5 | Christine Puls | Stephen Lenehan | 54.5kg | $151.00 |
| 13th | 14 | Dream Statement | 7 | Samantha Noble | S G Noble | 54kg | $151.00 |
| 14th | 5 | Rain Lord | 16 | Christopher Pang | Andrew Angelone | 57.5kg | $14.00 |
| Scr | 12 | Beaukati | 8 | Tayla Childs | Jordy Coffey | 55kg | |
| Scr | 16 | First Fifteen | 15 | Zac Moore | C Maher | 58.5kg |
Consistent mare in career-best form who maps midfield in very fast tempo. Soft 6 suits adequately despite modest record. Clear top pick despite favoritism.
Improving trend and class drop make second pick despite no track form.
Recent form consistent despite wide draw. Finishing strength suits fast tempo but barrier tests. Logical top-3 despite soft concerns.
Maps ideally for Ararat's positional bias despite soft limitations. Major overlay.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Tori's Dee | 4 | Chelsea Thompson | Jamie Edwards | 57kg | $5.00 |
| 2nd | 6 | Spinhof | 14 | Neil Farley | Shay Keating | 59kg | $16.00 |
| 3rd | 3 | American Russ | 6 | Campbell Rawiller | A Waddell | 59.5kg | $7.50 |
| 4th | 4 | Nietzsche | 3 | Jade Da Rose | Jack Laing | 59.5kg | $5.50 |
| 5th | 8 | Bron | 13 | Lachlan King | Charmaine Barnes | 57.5kg | $26.00 |
| 6th | 7 | Factually | 9 | Dylan Dean | C J Cassar | 56.5kg | $4.20 |
| 7th | 12 | Magestic Diva | 2 | Christine Puls | K G McCartin | 54kg | $51.00 |
| 8th | 11 | Deep Core | 11 | Paul Gatt | Alan Hanrahan | 55.5kg | $41.00 |
| 9th | 10 | Wild Vitality | 12 | Sarah Robbins | Rodney Foster | 56.5kg | $61.00 |
| 10th | 14 | Waylona Girl | 5 | Christopher Pang | Brooke Verwey-Mitchell | 52kg | $81.00 |
| 11th | 9 | Attaboom | 1 | Cian Macredmond | Anthony Cosgriff | 57kg | $8.50 |
| 12th | 2 | Gopher Frank | 10 | Tom Madden | Jamie Opperman | 60.5kg | $7.50 |
| 13th | 13 | Masina | 15 | Chelsea Taylor | Jordy Coffey | 54kg | $101.00 |
| 14th | 5 | The Mariner | 8 | Zac Moore | Stephen Lenehan | 56.5kg | $20.00 |
| Scr | 15 | Flux | 7 | Rodney Foster | 63kg |
Improving trend outweighs wide draw in position-driven track. Fast tempo suits forward style over backmarkers. Strong class match and track history make this the form pick.
Pianta's consistent recent form (4 placings in last 4, including 2nd Horsham 12 days ago) and barrier 6 position well for fast tempo and Ararat's front-three bias. Light weight aids in Soft 6. Edges others on fitness and reliability in country Restricted 56.
Barrier 1 positions Watt On Earth perfectly as likely leader in fast tempo race favoring front-runners at Ararat. Recent Horsham win shows fitness second-up. Class rise concern but map and light prep outweigh for place claims.
Fast tempo suits closing speed if maps midfield.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 5 | Fashion Fighter | 12 | Neil Farley | Peter Jaques | 59.5kg | $9.50 |
| 2nd | 4 | Watt On Earth | 1 | Cian Macredmond | Anthony Cosgriff | 60kg | $5.00 |
| 3rd | 2 | Paris Affair | 2 | Will Gordon | Andrew Bobbin | 60kg | $8.00 |
| 4th | 3 | Up And Under | 3 | Logan McNeil | D M Noonan | 60kg | $6.50 |
| 5th | 15 | Blonde Suspect | 4 | Lachlan King | Nathan Hobson | 57kg | $31.00 |
| 6th | 12 | Triple Oh | 9 | Jack Hill | Tom Dabernig | 58kg | $10.00 |
| 7th | 16 | Pianta | 6 | Kate Walters | Wayne Walters | 56.5kg | $8.50 |
| 8th | 10 | King Alla | 13 | Ryan Hurdle | Ann-Jeanette Tindale | 58kg | $9.50 |
| 9th | 7 | Sugar And Sweet | 7 | Chelsea Thompson | Rachel Samsonenko | 55kg | $13.00 |
| 10th | 13 | Friday Folly | 5 | Melissa Julius | Stephen Lenehan | 56kg | $41.00 |
| 11th | 1 | Catch A Break | 15 | Joe Bowditch | P Kearney | 60kg | $15.00 |
| 12th | 8 | Bellakai | 8 | Chelsea Taylor | Ms H Burns | 58kg | $41.00 |
| 13th | 11 | Ruscello | 14 | Tom Madden | Aaron Purcell | 58kg | $10.00 |
| 14th | 9 | Donam | 17 | Tayla Childs | M J O'Connor | 58kg | $151.00 |
| Scr | 6 | Rhinestone Rory | 11 | Campbell Rawiller | James & Lisa Dodgson | 59kg | |
| Scr | 14 | Sunset Prayer | 15 | D C Saxon | 56kg | ||
| Scr | 17 | Bless The Fleet | 16 | Dane Smith | 55kg | ||
| Scr | 18 | Lucky Compass | 10 | K T Bourke | 54.5kg |
Top form pick. Likely leader from prime barrier 3 perfectly suits Ararat's directional leaders bias (33% win rate) and fast tempo. Solid 1300m record (5:1-1-1), recent near-miss 2nd on Soft 6 at Terang, heavy track wins (12:3-1-2). Soft 6 conditions no issue.
Consistent 3887573232 form peaking with recent 2nd at Horsham (Good 3). Soft record 3:1-0-0, Ararat place. Fast tempo + Soft 6 favours late strength over wide draw.
Soft 13:1-3-1 holds up on Soft 6. Wide draw hurts in leaders-favouring Ararat but class edge and reliability make place safe.
Light weight, prime position for Ararat leaders edge in fast tempo. Speculative place.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 8 | Royal Inference | 9 | Tom Madden | P A Chow | 59.5kg | $7.00 |
| 2nd | 14 | Squagaga | 6 | Sarah Robbins | Rodney Foster | 56kg | $81.00 |
| 3rd | 5 | Triomphe | 14 | Christopher Pang | Maddie Raymond & Patrick Bell | 58kg | $3.00 |
| 4th | 4 | Thunderanlightning | 3 | Luke Williams | K M Elford | 60kg | $7.00 |
| 5th | 1 | Port Louis | 11 | Ryan Hurdle | Denis Daffy & Harriet Place | 60kg | $9.50 |
| 6th | 9 | Tudaya | 2 | Will Gordon | P A Chow | 59.5kg | $4.60 |
| 7th | 7 | Lexton | 12 | Jack Hill | Brady Cross | 59.5kg | $12.00 |
| 8th | 17 | Ovabent | 8 | Chelsea Thompson | Dane Smith | 50kg | $101.00 |
| 9th | 12 | Thoughtful | 5 | Melissa Julius | Nell Carter | 58kg | $21.00 |
| 10th | 10 | Treasury Place | 7 | Joe Bowditch | Andrew Campbell | 59kg | $15.00 |
| 11th | 16 | Tosen Glory | 4 | K T Bourke | 54kg | $19.00 | |
| 12th | 11 | Dissalto | 13 | Campbell Rawiller | Brooke Verwey-Mitchell | 58.5kg | $61.00 |
| 13th | 13 | Bravue | 1 | Chelsea Taylor | Jordy Coffey | 57.5kg | $101.00 |
| Scr | 2 | Sakasu | 17 | Ms H Burns | 60kg | ||
| Scr | 3 | Shout Me | 15 | Neil Farley | Bob & Kane Post | 60kg | |
| Scr | 6 | Canny Defense | 16 | Raharna McDonald | 59.5kg | ||
| Scr | 15 | Kilmister | 10 | Tayla Childs | Aftab Shaikh | 54.5kg |
Fast tempo suits strong finishers; Yendall booking signals intent despite wide draw. Best pure form in low-reliability Restricted 56.
Barrier 1 perfect for Ararat's directional leaders bias (33% win rate). Recent 3rd Geelong BM56 on soft shows fitness; soft record 4:1-0-2 strong for Soft 6. Fast tempo from leaders 1-2 suits forward midfield role.
Strong second-up form after sharp 2nd Donald Rest.62 seven days ago shows peak fitness. Soft record solid; barrier 6 suits midfield map in fast tempo. Solid top-3 chance in leaders-favouring setup.
Dropping class second-up suits fast tempo for strong finish. Soft exposure limited but recent form improving; value in volatile field.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Break The Taboo | 12 | Dean Yendall | Shane Jackson | 60kg | $2.80 |
| 2nd | 5 | Symphonite | 1 | Paul Gatt | Tom Dabernig | 60kg | $8.50 |
| 3rd | 7 | Ambushed | 9 | Ryan Hurdle | Craig Stewart | 59.5kg | $26.00 |
| 4th | 11 | Black Cherry | 8 | Cian Macredmond | Andrew Bobbin | 58.5kg | $31.00 |
| 5th | 12 | Limbering | 5 | Chelsea Thompson | Raharna McDonald | 54.5kg | $14.00 |
| 6th | 6 | Vores | 6 | Christine Puls | Nell Carter | 60kg | $4.40 |
| 7th | 2 | Kamarooka | 2 | Lachlan King | R G Symons | 60kg | $20.00 |
| 8th | 15 | Melissa Kate | 10 | Kate Walters | Wayne Walters | 56.5kg | $51.00 |
| 9th | 10 | First Line | 16 | Shayleigh Ingelse | P A Preusker | 59kg | $31.00 |
| 10th | 9 | Miss Remski | 11 | Luke Williams | Luke Williams | 59.5kg | $26.00 |
| 11th | 14 | Bubbles Time | 17 | Neil Farley | Shay Keating | 56.5kg | $51.00 |
| 12th | 3 | New York Scandal | 3 | Jack Hill | Aaron Laing | 60kg | $6.50 |
| 13th | 4 | Sheez Elegant | 13 | Tom Madden | Clint Marshall | 60kg | $26.00 |
| 14th | 8 | French Love | 14 | Will Gordon | Ms A Blackburn | 59.5kg | $41.00 |
| Scr | 13 | Mandara Sun | 14 | Campbell Rawiller | James & Lisa Dodgson | 58.5kg | |
| Scr | 16 | Shasam | 4 | Stephen Lenehan | 54kg | ||
| Scr | 17 | Gijima Gal | 7 | Samantha Noble | S G Noble | 54kg | |
| Scr | 18 | Dandino Belle | 15 | Dane Smith | 54kg |
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