Punt like a Pro, without the know!
New Zealand · Sunday 16 August 2026
Our top pick won 4 of 9 races at Woodville. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
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He is a genuine Woodville horse with three wins from six visits and handles bottomless ground, recording three wins and six placings from 20 heavy starts. The wide alley and three-day backup for a nine-year-old stretching to 3000m are the risks, but his jumping and wet-track profile still make him the one to beat.
Comedy is the only runner who has already contested this exact race, finishing third over 3000m hurdles here on Heavy 10 five weeks ago. Last Sunday's 11th can be ignored as a shorter, harder assignment. Barrier five suits a tight circuit.
Barrier one is a major asset on this tight, tiring track. Wiles is in good form and combines well with Myers. The counter is serious: he failed to finish his most recent hurdles start, is ten years old, and backs up three days after an eighth on the synthetic. Place hopes rest on class and the inside draw rather than recent jumping reliability.
She carries 66kg, receiving 2kg from the males, and every start has been on heavy ground. Kozaczek, who rode the Trentham second, is a 19 percent rider at Woodville.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Pinkerton | 8 | Joshua Parker | M K Oulaghan | 68kg | $3.10 |
| 2nd | 8 | Sweettest | 6 | Jay Kozaczek | M K Oulaghan | 66kg | $9.90 |
| 3rd | 2 | Comedy | 5 | Hamish Mc Neill | H E Wilson | 68kg | $4.30 |
| 4th | 3 | Island Hop | 1 | Kylan Wiles | K T Myers | 68kg | $4.60 |
| 5th | 6 | Spinayarn | 3 | Nick Downs | Adam Scott | 68kg | $21.60 |
| 4 | Pinker | 7 | Corey Wiles | K T Myers | 68kg | ||
| 5 | Rocking Light | 2 | Bella Oliver | M K Oulaghan | 68kg | ||
| Scr | 7 | Zorba | 4 | Billy Marshall | K T Myers | 68kg |
Billy Boy brings the strongest overall profile for a Heavy 10 Woodville hurdle: five jumps wins from eight, eight heavy-track victories and three wins from five here including the track and distance. He won a 3200m open hurdle at Trentham on Heavy 10 in July. Last-start DNF and 69kg from barrier 8 are genuine negatives on holding ground, so he is taken to place rather than win. McNeill's blank Woodville record adds caution, but class and conditions suitability keep him in the finish.
Barrier 1 is ideal on this tight, tiring track and Bella Oliver retains. A subsequent flat maiden seventh was only a fitness hit-out. Each-way is the play.
Kick On is the most likely winner on current jumps form, taking out his last two hurdle starts including a 3100m Heavy 9 restricted win last Saturday. A clean 2-from-3 jumps record contrasts with several rivals who DNF recently. The 65kg impost is a clear edge on Heavy 10 against 69kg topweight Billy Boy. First open hurdle and barrier 9 are queries, but fitness and trajectory override them.
Tutin Cans is the value runner. Douglas is the in-form jumps rider and combines at 35 percent with Rayner. The 63kg bottom weight is a significant concession on Heavy 10 over 3000m. He won a maiden hurdle in June and has already placed at this track and distance. If he puts in a clean round the weight and booking make him each-way value against several overbet elects.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 7 | The Belvoir | 4 | Joshua Parker | B B Beatson | 65kg | $16.10 |
| 2nd | 8 | The Republican | 2 | Billy Marshall | K T Myers | 65kg | $12.10 |
| 3rd | 9 | Tutin Cans | 6 | Lemmy Douglas | J J Rayner | 63kg | $17.00 |
| 4th | 3 | Juwala | 1 | Bella Oliver | Sarah West | 65kg | $9.00 |
| 5th | 4 | Weneedashock | 3 | Kylan Wiles | Shaun Fannin & Hazel Fannin | 65kg | $4.60 |
| 1 | Billy Boy | 8 | Hamish Mc Neill | J L Rathbone | 69kg | ||
| Scr | 2 | Kick On | 9 | K T Myers | 65kg | ||
| 5 | Yolo | 5 | Corey Wiles | K T Myers | 65kg | ||
| 6 | Semper Magico | 7 | Jay Kozaczek | M K Oulaghan | 65kg |
Betty Willdoit is the form horse. That is clearly the best recent evidence in a weak maiden.
Myers plus a Mongolian Khan pedigree is a real staying recipe and he should improve. Take him on the place.
Last start's 17-length Te Aroha eleventh is a hard watch, but it came away from home and can be treated as a write-off if he is a Woodville horse.
She carries 66.5kg and du Plessis is riding in form, including a win from one Woodville ride.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | The Bossman | 7 | Scotty Macnab | K T Myers | 68.5kg | $2.30 |
| 2nd | 6 | Les Boots | 5 | Monique Dey | A R Fieldes | 68.5kg | $6.80 |
| 3rd | 5 | Just Ted | 4 | Hannah Wilson | K T Myers | 68.5kg | $8.70 |
| 4th | 3 | Hill Billy | 9 | Tyler Porteous | Kayla Macnab | 68.5kg | $18.20 |
| 5th | 9 | Betty Willdoit | 6 | Sacha Rennie | J Lavelle & S Rennie | 66.5kg | $5.20 |
| 6th | 8 | Uncle Charlie | 11 | Samantha Weller | S C Beatson | 68.5kg | $57.10 |
| 7th | 1 | Vincero | 3 | A E Taiaroa | A B Bidlake | 68.5kg | $16.00 |
| 8th | 7 | Tukipo | 1 | Tylah Mercer | Allan Scarlett | 68.5kg | $82.90 |
| 9th | 4 | Einstime | 10 | Jamirul Rahman | Allan Scarlett | 68.5kg | $74.10 |
| 10th | 10 | Thatz Bonnie | 12 | Marieke Simons | Anne Davies | 66.5kg | $35.10 |
| 11th | 11 | Button Ya Lip | 8 | Skye du Plessis | W S Moorehead | 66.5kg | $19.70 |
| 12th | 12 | One Penny | 2 | Alexandra Reed | P Nelson & C Mcdougal | 66.5kg | $14.30 |
Duke Of Plumpton is the standout after consecutive steeplechase wins. Eight heavy wins from 31 and four jumps wins from eight confirm suitability. Barrier 1 is ideal. The last-start 10th was a 2100m flat fitness run.
His 29-start jumps record of three wins and 12 placings, plus five heavy-track wins from 44 starts, shows he handles these conditions. A last-start DNF over 5600m at Riccarton and an eight-day backup are genuine concerns, and barrier 7 is awkward on this tight track. He remains the most reliable place prospect if he completes the course.
Name The Game won a maiden steeple at this Woodville 4000m Heavy 10 assignment last August and is 3:1-0-0 at the track and trip from six local starts. Provincial track knowledge is a plus here. Barrier 8 is a clear negative on a tight, tiring circuit and he rises in class off a modest 1-from-15 career. Keep him in the finish if he can save ground from the wide gate.
Barrier 3 suits the Heavy 10 inside-draw preference and he is fit and improving. Each-way value in a race where several rivals have recent failures to finish.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Smug | 2 | Michael Roustoby | C J Wood | 68kg | $10.90 |
| 2nd | 2 | Duke Of Plumpton | 1 | Hamish Mc Neill | C E Myers | 68kg | $1.50 |
| 3rd | 6 | Name The Game | 8 | Nick Downs | Ms G Temperton | 66.5kg | $8.90 |
| 4th | 3 | Auld Jock | 6 | Joshua Parker | P & J Brosnan | 66.5kg | $12.70 |
| 5th | 7 | Sound Of Silence | 3 | Billy Marshall | D J Blackie | 66.5kg | $20.50 |
| 6th | 4 | Invisible Spirit | 7 | Kylan Wiles | K T Myers | 66.5kg | $7.00 |
| 5 | Renegade Fighter | 5 | Corey Wiles | S L Cameron | 66.5kg | ||
| 8 | Touch O''paradise | 4 | Jay Kozaczek | A B Bidlake | 65kg | ||
| Scr | 9 | Rocem | 2 | P & J Brosnan | 63kg |
Saint Bernard is the most reliable winner for this exact task. Reverting to 4000m suits. The 7yo is still progressive against older rivals and holds a 2-4-1 Heavy record.
Prince Turbo brings the best current steeple form, finishing second, second and third on Heavy, including a Woodville 4800m second where he beat Saint Bernard. A 2-from-2 4000m record, 1-3-1 here and barrier 2 all fit a tiring provincial circuit. The 12yo is a chronic place-getter with a 6 percent win rate, so he is the main danger rather than the win vehicle.
Fourteen Heavy wins, a 3-from-5 Woodville record and a 4200m third under 70kg last start are elite credentials, and the drop from open hurdles plus 65kg are genuine ticks. Every recent jumps run is a hurdle though, he is untried at 4000m steeples, and barrier 8 hurts on this tight track.
Three wins from 11 here include a 4800m Heavy 10 steeple, and she is 1-from-3 at this track and trip. Seven Heavy wins confirm the wet-track engine. Barrier 3 and Kozaczek’s 19 percent Woodville rate add map and rider ticks, and a 4-day flat run keeps her sharp.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4 | Saint Bernard | 6 | Hamish Mc Neill | C A Bambry | 66.5kg | $2.30 |
| 2nd | 3 | Prince Turbo | 2 | Corey Wiles | K T Myers | 66.5kg | $5.30 |
| 3rd | 5 | Hey Hey Hey | 5 | Joshua Parker | W S Moorehead | 66.5kg | $15.00 |
| 4th | 9 | Empire State | 1 | Bella Oliver | P Nelson & C Mcdougal | 65kg | $9.30 |
| 5th | 7 | Odysseus | 4 | Billy Marshall | S C Beatson | 65kg | $14.50 |
| 1 | Leitrim Lad | 9 | Nick Downs | E P Green | 68kg | ||
| 2 | Jakama Krystal | 3 | Jay Kozaczek | P & J Brosnan | 67.5kg | ||
| 6 | Sweet Taboo | 7 | Michael Roustoby | Shelley Wright | 66.5kg | ||
| Scr | 8 | Happy Star | 8 | Kylan Wiles | K T Myers | 65kg |
The most credible form line in a shallow Maiden. That is materially stronger form than anything else here brings, and the drop to Maiden grade is significant. Myers knows the filly and strikes at 16% at Woodville. Barrier 7 is the concern on a tight track, but the wet-track evidence and class relief outweigh it.
Startles has raced exclusively on Heavy ground and has a placing to show for it, running third in Open grade at Trentham. She has been thrown into Listed company twice since and been found out, so today's Maiden is a genuine grade reprieve. The 1200m trip and holding surface are both proven, and barrier 5 allows a handy economical run.
A genuine unknown, assessed on proxy factors rather than penalised for absent data. Top weight of 57.5kg is the reservation on a Heavy 8 that will bottom out. Without any wet-track or distance evidence to lean on, the sensible engagement is each-way rather than a win investment.
Barrier 4 is a plus on this turning circuit. Small each-way engagement.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | Platinum La Danse | 7 | Kelly Myers | Ms L Latta | 55.5kg | $3.30 |
| 2nd | 4 | Startles | 5 | Mereana Hudson | C A Bambry | 55.5kg | $3.30 |
| 3rd | 7 | Bellass | 2 | Leah Hemi | Ms L Latta | 55.5kg | $5.40 |
| 4th | 2 | Charmstruck | 1 | Amber Riddell | Peter & Trent Didham | 56.5kg | $3.90 |
| 5th | 5 | Sandbar | 4 | Kavish Chowdhoory | M N Eales | 55.5kg | $9.50 |
| 6th | 6 | Adira''s Way | 6 | Jim Chung | Caitlin Johnson | 54.5kg | $22.30 |
| Scr | 1 | Sethero | 3 | Lily Sutherland | Guy Lowry & Leah Zydenbos | 57.5kg |
The most credentialled wet-tracker in a shallow maiden. Leica Ace has been placed at both her Woodville starts, including a second over this exact 1400m trip on Heavy 10 beaten just a length, and her heavy record reads 4:0-3-1. The Awapuni synthetic fifth last start is easily forgiven on surface grounds; her Heavy 8 third at Hawera before that is the true line. Barrier 3 and 56.5kg give her the handy, economical trip this holding circuit rewards. Winless from six is the obvious risk, but conditions have never lined up better.
A chronic maiden but one whose two best career efforts have come at this track over this exact trip on heavy ground. Today she gets the minimum 55.5kg and a workable gate 5.
The clear upside runner. Against rivals with 14 and 39 starts and nothing to show, her lack of exposure is an asset rather than a hole. The queries are real: 207 days off, no heavy-track evidence, and a rise to 1400m first up.
The overlay play. That stamina-and-wet profile is exactly what this bottomless provincial surface rewards, and he has a 1400m Heavy 8 run already on record. Each-way is the sensible structure.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Guyton Street | 8 | Lily Sutherland | Ms R Lockett | 58.5kg | $5.10 |
| 2nd | 9 | Time After Time | 3 | Leah Hemi | K T Myers | 56.5kg | $6.60 |
| 3rd | 7 | Sweet Envy | 4 | Amber Riddell | Joshua Shaw | 55.5kg | $3.10 |
| 4th | 5 | Leica Ace | 2 | Chris Dell | Shaun Fannin & Hazel Fannin | 56.5kg | $6.90 |
| 5th | 2 | Audax | 5 | Jim Chung | M N Eales | 57.5kg | $7.20 |
| 6th | 10 | Gavel Kat | 7 | Rohan Mudhoo | Kenny Moore | 56.5kg | $37.50 |
| 7th | 4 | I Toldyou | 6 | Kavish Chowdhoory | R J Bergerson | 58.5kg | $14.50 |
| 8th | 8 | La Bella Uno | 1 | Kelly Myers | G A & D G Rogerson & Clint Isdale | 56.5kg | $6.90 |
| Scr | 3 | Dark Moves | 1 | Liam Kauri | Ms D C Kennedy | 56.5kg | |
| Scr | 6 | Smackers | 8 | Mereana Hudson | Ms S Dougan | 56.5kg |
He won his maiden last start over this exact 2200m Heavy 10 combination, continuing a consistent staying pattern that includes a nose second at the trip and Woodville Heavy placings. Barrier 4 suits this tight, tiring circuit. The maiden-to-BM65 rise is the query, but it is standard provincial progression and his 44 percent place rate plus improving profile make him the most likely winner. Proven BM65 rivals have mixed recent form.
His Heavy record of two wins and a placing from four is the best here and barrier 2 is a major plus. He must bounce back from a tame Otaki eighth, and 59kg on this surface is not ideal. Strong each-way claims.
He has placed at this grade on wet ground before and handles Heavy. The problem is reliability: two 12ths surround that third, and he is 0 from 1 at 2200m.
He was also second here over 2100m on Heavy. Recent form in sprints is discardable as the wrong trip.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Monroe | 8 | Amber Riddell | P Nelson & C Mcdougal | 58kg | $10.80 |
| 2nd | 6 | Tukituki | 6 | Lily Sutherland | Carl Taylor | 57kg | $2.40 |
| 3rd | 12 | Go Butch | 1 | Sarah Macnab | K T Myers | 54kg | $25.00 |
| 4th | 4 | Early Times | 4 | Kelly Myers | Kayla Macnab | 58.5kg | $5.40 |
| 5th | 5 | Ride The Tide | 5 | Jim Chung | Marieke Simons | 56kg | $15.10 |
| 6th | 1 | Four Square Pete | 2 | Leah Hemi | K T Myers | 59kg | $4.70 |
| 7th | 9 | Paradis | 9 | Mereana Hudson | Ms S Gordon | 54kg | $7.20 |
| 8th | 10 | Predecessor | 3 | Liam Kauri | Joshua Shaw | 52kg | $21.80 |
| Scr | 3 | Craftsman | 8 | Mereana Hudson | H W Mathews | 58.5kg | |
| Scr | 7 | Jamaican Boy | 4 | Rohan Mudhoo | S L Crawford | 56kg | |
| Scr | 8 | Beavertown Lass | 7 | Kavish Chowdhoory | A M Bull | 55kg | |
| Scr | 11 | Odysseus | 10 | S C Beatson | 54kg |
Sacred Zed is the form horse after finishing second at this track, trip and Restricted 60 grade on Heavy 10, beaten half a length.
She drops in grade with only 54kg from barrier 1, a powerful mix on a holding provincial track, and she has already won on heavy.
Rithim has won at Woodville over 1600m and was fourth in this grade on Heavy 10 here in June, the next-best local form after Sacred Zed. A 10 percent place rate and a wider gate keep her to a place play, but the track-and-distance profile is among the best in the field.
Giveusawink is the overlay. Barrier 2 and 55kg are ideal on this Heavy 10 provincial circuit.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Sacred Zed | 4 | Lily Sutherland | K T Myers | 60kg | $2.60 |
| 2nd | 2 | Trainwreck | 5 | Mereana Hudson | Ms R Lockett | 59.5kg | $5.30 |
| 3rd | 9 | Rocky Belle | 8 | Jim Chung | P Nelson & C Mcdougal | 53kg | $11.20 |
| 4th | 4 | Mcgrath | 10 | Sarah Macnab | C E Myers | 58.5kg | $9.00 |
| 5th | 3 | Riomosa | 6 | Chris Dell | G J Haigh | 59kg | $11.40 |
| 6th | 7 | Lady Anglesea | 1 | Amber Riddell | Ms L Latta | 54kg | $7.30 |
| 7th | 6 | Rithim | 7 | Kavish Chowdhoory | Ms L Latta | 56kg | $10.20 |
| 8th | 5 | Giveusawink | 2 | Liam Kauri | Joshua Shaw | 55kg | $38.00 |
| 9th | 8 | Rich Attitude | 3 | Rohan Mudhoo | Ange Greig | 54kg | $15.60 |
| 10th | 10 | Popsicles | 9 | Crystal Lindsay | A B Bidlake | 51kg | $63.50 |
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