★ Top pickWon
2Magic Merlin
Magic Merlin is the most consistent runner in the field, with three placings from six starts and a recent close-up second at this exact track on Soft.
New South Wales · Sunday 9 August 2026
Muswellbrook tips and results
Our top pick won 3 of 7 races at Muswellbrook. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
Top pick won3/743%
Any tip won7/7100%
Top pick placed5/771%
top pick wonanother tip wonno tip won
TAB Mdn Plate
12:57 local1500mMaiden$27,000
Winner2. Magic MerlinSP $2.50
2nd pick4th
3Ocean Predator
A first starter for one of Australia's premier stables, drawn to perfection in barrier 4.
3rd pick3rd
6Strasbelle
Strasbelle is the lone speed in a field with no other genuine leader, drawn ideally in barrier 1 within the track's favoured inside zone. With three consecutive placings and a strong soft-track record, an uncontested lead in a slow-tempo maiden gives her a genuine winning chance, even though the rider's local statistics are modest.
Value pick7th
8Trapeazy
- 1st2Magic MerlinMitchell Bell$2.50
- 2nd4Linda's PrincessMikayla Weir$71.00
- 3rd6StrasbelleOlivia Dalton$10.00
- 4th3Ocean PredatorWinona Costin$5.00
Full result · 8 runners
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Magic Merlin | 7 | Mitchell Bell | Brett & Georgie Cavanough | 59kg | $2.50 |
| 2nd | 4 | Linda's Princess | 8 | Mikayla Weir | Ms J Bowen | 57kg | $71.00 |
| 3rd | 6 | Strasbelle | 1 | Olivia Dalton | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 55kg | $10.00 |
| 4th | 3 | Ocean Predator | 4 | Winona Costin | G Waterhouse & A Bott | 59kg | $5.00 |
| 5th | 1 | Gold Earth | 6 | Grant Buckley | T Wong | 59kg | $13.00 |
| 6th | 5 | Maremoto | 3 | Adam Farragher | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 57kg | $3.10 |
| 7th | 8 | Trapeazy | 5 | Mollie Fitzgerald | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 55kg | $13.00 |
| 8th | 7 | Winnie's Feelin' | 2 | Donovan Dillon | Patrick Cleave | 56.5kg | $31.00 |
Denbrook Thoroughbreds Country Boosted Mdn Hcp
13:37 local1280mMaiden$30,000
Winner5. Nulkaba StarSP $3.80
★ Top pick2nd
7Thirty Degrees
Thirty Degrees produced his best and most relevant form line last start, finishing third at this same track and distance, and repeats the assignment today from the ideal inside barrier under Muswellbrook's soft bias.
2nd pickWon
5Nulkaba Star
Rock-solid place claims with genuine winning upside if it finally clicks.
3rd pick3rd
4Tralee
Value pick5th
8Zo Frilling
- 1st5Nulkaba StarMollie Fitzgerald$3.80
- 2nd7Thirty DegreesJake Pracey-Holmes$3.20
- 3rd4TraleeRory Hutchings$8.50
- 4th3GraffiDonovan Dillon$41.00
Full result · 8 runners
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 5 | Nulkaba Star | 7 | Mollie Fitzgerald | J A Sylvester | 55.5kg | $3.80 |
| 2nd | 7 | Thirty Degrees | 1 | Jake Pracey-Holmes | Cassandra Stummer | 55.5kg | $3.20 |
| 3rd | 4 | Tralee | 2 | Rory Hutchings | Melissa Dennett | 56kg | $8.50 |
| 4th | 3 | Graffi | 6 | Donovan Dillon | A M Boyle | 56.5kg | $41.00 |
| 5th | 8 | Zo Frilling | 8 | Billy Cray | Nikki Pollock | 55.5kg | $41.00 |
| 6th | 6 | Shakespeare's Girl | 4 | Anna Roper | Patrick Cleave | 55.5kg | $4.80 |
| 7th | 2 | Looking The Part | 3 | Mikayla Weir | Cassandra Stummer | 57kg | $9.00 |
| 8th | 1 | I'm Flexible | 5 | Winona Costin | Brett & Georgie Cavanough | 59kg | $7.00 |
Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Mdn Plate
14:17 local1000mMaiden$27,000
Winner2. Mr CornstarSP $7.00
★ Top pickWon
2Mr Cornstar
Drawn ideally in barrier 1, a major plus given Muswellbrook's clear inside-draw advantage. Leading local jockey Aaron Bullock, in career-best form, takes the ride. Untested for a placing specifically on Soft, but the overall profile and ideal gate make him the most reliable winning chance in this maiden.
2nd pick2nd
4Elska
3rd pick7th
7Sicilian Heat
Costin's strong combination strike rate with this stable adds further weight. Genuine each-way claims against more experienced rivals despite the lack of hard data.
Value pick5th
5Magatama
Lightly raced mare who has trialled impressively into today's race with a Gosford trial win, suggesting more upside than her modest two-start race record shows. Drawn ideally in barrier 4 and partnered by in-form local jockey Andrew Gibbons.
- 1st2Mr CornstarAaron Bullock$7.00
- 2nd4ElskaMollie Fitzgerald$3.00
- 3rd6Got HereMitchell Bell$21.00
- 4th8Bascilica BabeAnna Roper$5.50
Full result · 9 runners
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Mr Cornstar | 1 | Aaron Bullock | Damien Smith | 59kg | $7.00 |
| 2nd | 4 | Elska | 6 | Mollie Fitzgerald | M S Minervini | 57kg | $3.00 |
| 3rd | 6 | Got Here | 8 | Mitchell Bell | D Lane | 56.5kg | $21.00 |
| 4th | 8 | Bascilica Babe | 9 | Anna Roper | Sara Ryan | 55kg | $5.50 |
| 5th | 5 | Magatama | 4 | Andrew Gibbons | Angela Davies | 57kg | $11.00 |
| 6th | 9 | Cool Art | 7 | Adam Farragher | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 55kg | $16.00 |
| 7th | 7 | Sicilian Heat | 3 | Winona Costin | G Waterhouse & A Bott | 56.5kg | $4.80 |
| 8th | 3 | Shanghai Sprint | 5 | Grant Buckley | T Wong | 59kg | $7.50 |
| 9th | 1 | Already Blue | 2 | Rory Hutchings | Julia Presits | 59kg | $81.00 |
Queen Of The Valley Matchmaker (Bm66)
14:55 local1280mBenchmark 66$27,000
Winner2. Purple RoseSP $2.40
★ Top pick5th
4Wootten It Be Nice
First-time blinkers/tongue-tie and a leading rider booking add genuine improvement signals. The recent dry-track flop is explainable by class and surface change, not a fitness concern.
2nd pick2nd
6Lune D'excellence
3rd pickWon
2Purple Rose
The last-start flop is mitigated by a wide draw and step up to a tougher grade at Wyong.
Value pick8th
7Lika Remi
- 1st2Purple RoseOlivia Chambers$2.40
- 2nd6Lune D'excellenceAndrew Gibbons$15.00
- 3rd3TulipwoodAdam Farragher$9.00
- 4th1Maid In DubaiMitchell Bell$17.00
Full result · 8 runners
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Purple Rose | 3 | Olivia Chambers | Ms K Buchanan | 59.5kg | $2.40 |
| 2nd | 6 | Lune D'excellence | 5 | Andrew Gibbons | K A Lees | 57.5kg | $15.00 |
| 3rd | 3 | Tulipwood | 4 | Adam Farragher | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 59.5kg | $9.00 |
| 4th | 1 | Maid In Dubai | 6 | Mitchell Bell | Brett Robb | 60.5kg | $17.00 |
| 5th | 4 | Wootten It Be Nice | 1 | Aaron Bullock | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 59kg | $2.30 |
| 6th | 5 | Coella | 2 | Jake Pracey-Holmes | Cassandra Stummer | 57.5kg | $20.00 |
| 7th | 8 | Sunday Punch | 7 | Winona Costin | Cheryl Roberts | 55.5kg | $61.00 |
| 8th | 7 | Lika Remi | 8 | Serg Lisnyy | S J Hodge | 56.5kg | $19.00 |
Star Turn @ Vinery Stud Country Boosted Hcp (C1)
15:35 local1000mClass 1$30,000
Winner3. BellerataSP $4.60
★ Top pick2nd
1Manoora
2nd pickWon
3Bellerata
Bellerata arrives fresh off her maiden win and has been knocking on the door for months (five placings from her last six runs). Barrier 2 plays to this track's inside bias and she maps as one of the forward runners in a tempo-less race, which suits her.
3rd pick3rd
5City Gold Speed
City Gold Speed is an honest, if not brilliant, performer with a well-exposed profile of minor placings. The key here is shape: with no genuine leader in the race and a slow tempo forecast, he is one of the few horses likely to roll forward, and the track's positional data favours leaders.
Value pick5th
4Archaic Force
- 1st3BellerataGabrielle Johnston$4.60
- 2nd1ManooraAaron Bullock$1.45
- 3rd5City Gold SpeedMikayla Weir$11.00
- 4th2Beyond The SkyRory Hutchings$8.00
Full result · 6 runners
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | Bellerata | 2 | Gabrielle Johnston | W T Wilkes | 55kg | $4.60 |
| 2nd | 1 | Manoora | 6 | Aaron Bullock | Brett Robb | 60kg | $1.45 |
| 3rd | 5 | City Gold Speed | 8 | Mikayla Weir | J R Gask | 56.5kg | $11.00 |
| 4th | 2 | Beyond The Sky | 5 | Rory Hutchings | Zach Hatch | 57.5kg | $8.00 |
| 5th | 4 | Archaic Force | 1 | Adam Farragher | T S Howlett | 56.5kg | $21.00 |
| 6th | 8 | Ring My Bell | 7 | Donovan Dillon | M A Milton | 55kg | $31.00 |
| Scr | 6 | Haras | 4 | Izzy Neale | S I Singleton | 55kg | |
| Scr | 7 | Meteor Mist | 3 | Jake Pracey-Holmes | Liam Ruddy | 55kg | |
| Scr | 9 | Hoo Haa | 9 | Kacie Adams | Darren Treacy | 55kg | |
| Scr | 10 | Pride Of Lanka | 5 | J Kehoe | 55kg |
EMF Group (Bm66)
16:10 local1500mBenchmark 66$27,000
Winner3. Invasive DreamsSP $5.00
★ Top pickWon
3Invasive Dreams
Ticks every box for Muswellbrook's soft-track profile: inside gate, proven mid-field settler, and a standout record at this track/distance/class combination including a competitive run in this exact race grade 13 days ago.
2nd pick3rd
5Unreal Expectation
However, barrier 9 goes against the strong inside-gate bias here, and the soft-track record is unproven relative to her heavy-track form. Rates a clear top-three chance but not clearly superior to the top selection on merit.
3rd pick7th
8Hinune
Hinune arrives with strong soft-track credentials and a close finish to Invasive Dreams in an identical race here less than two weeks ago. The concern is tactical: she projects as today's lone back marker at a track that clearly disadvantages that running style, capping her upside compared to on-pace and mid-field rivals.
Value pick6th
9Incantress
The inside gate lines up with the track's bias, blinkers going back on adds a genuine improvement angle, and the rider/trainer combination has a real record at this circuit.
- 1st3Invasive DreamsJasmine Urquhart-Warren$5.00
- 2nd4Rebel's EdgeGabrielle Johnston$20.00
- 3rd5Unreal ExpectationAaron Bullock$2.30
- 4th6StrobingMadeline Owen$9.00
Full result · 8 runners
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | Invasive Dreams | 1 | Jasmine Urquhart-Warren | S Harvey | 59kg | $5.00 |
| 2nd | 4 | Rebel's Edge | 4 | Gabrielle Johnston | Cassandra Stummer | 59kg | $20.00 |
| 3rd | 5 | Unreal Expectation | 9 | Aaron Bullock | T & P Vigouroux | 60.5kg | $2.30 |
| 4th | 6 | Strobing | 5 | Madeline Owen | A P Ball | 57kg | $9.00 |
| 5th | 7 | Shoot'em Up | 2 | Mikayla Weir | Ben Lees | 56.5kg | $13.00 |
| 6th | 9 | Incantress | 3 | Andrew Gibbons | S J Hodge | 55kg | $14.00 |
| 7th | 8 | Hinune | 8 | Adam Farragher | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 56kg | $4.00 |
| 8th | 1 | Hunter Bred | 7 | Angel Brennan | Damien Smith | 61.5kg | $31.00 |
| Scr | 2 | Tact | 10 | J C Deamer | 63kg | ||
| Scr | 10 | Faiza Star | 6 | Darren Treacy | 55kg |
Supido @ www.widden.com (Bm74)
16:45 local1000mBenchmark 74$27,000
Winner1. Where'stheprofitSP $1.75
★ Top pick4th
2Occult
Occult presents the strongest form case in this Soft 6 sprint: a rails draw that lines up perfectly with Muswellbrook's inside-barrier bias, and an outstanding 50% win strike rate on soft ground including a course win on this exact surface. The last-start flop at Kensington looks like an outlier against tougher city-adjacent opposition.
2nd pickWon
1Where'stheprofit
Included as a leading each-way threat rather than the outright top selection.
3rd pick2nd
4Cresta Run
Cresta Run drops markedly in grade after being competitive in Open company, and her soft-track profile is built on placings (4 from 4) rather than lapses in form. A strong claim from a proven local combination and the addition of a tongue tie add to the improvement case, though the outside gate and lack of a soft-track win temper her to a place-oriented wager behind the top two.
Value pick3rd
7In Spades
- 1st1Where'stheprofitAaron Bullock$1.75
- 2nd4Cresta RunMitchell Bell$5.00
- 3rd7In SpadesDonovan Dillon$31.00
- 4th2OccultWinona Costin$3.30
Full result · 7 runners
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Where'stheprofit | 5 | Aaron Bullock | Cameron Crockett | 60.5kg | $1.75 |
| 2nd | 4 | Cresta Run | 9 | Mitchell Bell | Brett & Georgie Cavanough | 58kg | $5.00 |
| 3rd | 7 | In Spades | 4 | Donovan Dillon | Ms J Bowen | 55.5kg | $31.00 |
| 4th | 2 | Occult | 1 | Winona Costin | Brett & Georgie Cavanough | 60kg | $3.30 |
| 5th | 10 | Sapphire Kiss | 2 | Grant Buckley | Wayne Seelin | 55kg | $17.00 |
| 6th | 11 | Royal Optimism | 11 | Mikayla Weir | Melanie O'Gorman | 55kg | $31.00 |
| 7th | 6 | Debussy | 6 | Madeline Owen | A P Ball | 57kg | $51.00 |
| Scr | 3 | Gail Jeanette | 10 | Jacob Stiff | Angus Stewart | 57kg | |
| Scr | 5 | Super Sioux | 7 | Izzy Neale | Melissa Dennett | 56.5kg | |
| Scr | 8 | Whil To Win | 3 | Liberty Smyth | Joseph Burges | 53kg | |
| Scr | 9 | Iknowyou | 8 | Nick Palmer | Brett & Georgie Cavanough | 53kg |
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