Punt like a Pro, without the know!
New South Wales · Monday 24 August 2026
Our top pick won 0 of 8 races at Tuncurry. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
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The most reliable form line in a weak Class 1. With no genuine leader engaged and a slow tempo forecast, his tactical speed from barrier 6 should land him handy at a track where backmarkers won 0 of 10 recent starts. The 'always second' profile is the risk, but conditions, fitness and map all align.
The class relief and the wet-track record make her the chief threat. The recent two runs read poorly, but both came at shorter trips against Class 2 opposition; the step to 1600m and the drop in grade both help. Light weight and barrier 2 give her every tactical chance if Spokes finds cover early.
She placed over 1600m at Kembla Grange, so the trip is no barrier. The reservations are practical rather than about ability: her soft-track record is 3 starts for a single placing, the jockey is unnamed, and Tuncurry's ultra-short 250m straight is unkind to horses that need to finish over the top. Sound each-way claims.
His maiden win at Taree on Heavy 8 in July confirms he handles rain-affected ground, and the pacifiers first time suggest the stable is addressing his raceday manners. Most importantly he maps as a leader at a track with a pronounced on-pace bias and a 250m straight.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Creative Righteous | 3 | Grant Buckley | P Cheers | 59kg | $4.60 |
| 2nd | 3 | Hardash | 4 | Lee Magorrian | P Cheers | 59kg | $31.00 |
| 3rd | 6 | Pelosa | 2 | Grady Spokes | Sally Taylor | 55.5kg | $3.80 |
| 4th | 4 | The Comanche | 6 | Zac Wadick | Glen Milligan | 59kg | $2.05 |
| 5th | 1 | Cannystep | 5 | Peter Graham | Peter Graham | 59kg | $10.00 |
| 6th | 8 | Follow That Dream | 8 | Mollie Fitzgerald | J M Austin | 55kg | $10.00 |
| Scr | 5 | Gemtiki | 7 | S Harvey | 57kg | ||
| Scr | 7 | Irish Accolade | 1 | J A Sylvester | 56.5kg |
The most credible form horse in a weak maiden.
Maps beautifully for this tight speed track. He owns a 1200m placing at Grafton and a wet-track profile of three placings across soft and heavy going. Spokes knows him well and rides for a stable he strikes at 13% with.
A progressive three-year-old with two placings from two soft-track starts and a trial win to his name, and he gets an in-form rider in Mikayla Weir. The doubt is entirely tactical: barrier twelve at Tuncurry, where the circuit is tight and the straight is barely 250m, means he either goes back or covers ground. Talented enough to place, but the draw makes winning hard.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 7 | Jeunetos | 11 | Ben Looker | G Prosser | 57kg | $31.00 |
| 2nd | 6 | Gallant Rush | 10 | Jenny Duggan | P Cheers | 57kg | $61.00 |
| 3rd | 3 | Fratianno | 2 | Mollie Fitzgerald | Colt Prosser | 58.5kg | $1.35 |
| 4th | 2 | Elton | 3 | Grant Buckley | A P Ball | 58.5kg | $9.00 |
| 5th | 12 | Zo Frilling | 6 | Olivia Dalton | Nikki Pollock | 55kg | $20.00 |
| 6th | 4 | In Bocca Al Lupe | 4 | Raymond Spokes | D L Matts | 58.5kg | $4.60 |
| 7th | 11 | Taverna | 5 | Grace Palmer | H R Dew | 54kg | $101.00 |
| 8th | 9 | Na Hamah | 1 | Zac Wadick | H R Dew | 57kg | $31.00 |
| Scr | 1 | Insain Chaos | 9 | B J Dodson | 59kg | ||
| Scr | 5 | Miners Mate | 12 | Mikayla Weir | Lyle Chandler | 57.5kg | |
| Scr | 8 | Kitsilano | 8 | Peter Graham | M J Robinson | 57kg | |
| Scr | 10 | Rips Law | 7 | Lee Magorrian | Colt Prosser | 57kg |
Barrier 4 lets Ashley Morgan take a forward position, which is essential on Tuncurry's 1400m circuit with its 250m straight.
The most reliable place proposition in the race. Strasbelle has finished top-three in four of her six starts and importantly has placed in both runs at 1400m. Barrier 1 is a genuine weapon on Tuncurry's tight circuit where leaders and on-pacers dominate and the 250m straight punishes anything wide. Blinkers first time may supply the missing finishing effort after three consecutive thirds. Chronic non-winning is the concern, so place is the sensible play.
A well-tried maiden with the deepest wet-track resume in the race - eight soft-track starts for five top-three finishes. Twenty-one starts without a win and a flat Wyong run last time cap enthusiasm, but he maps handy and is genuinely competitive here.
The overlay of the race. Fashion Spree has four seconds from 14 starts, a 29% place rate, and crucially has already run third at Tuncurry over 1305m on Soft 6. A wide gate compromised her last start.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 11 | Written About | 2 | Molly Bourke | Matthew Smith | 57kg | $10.00 |
| 2nd | 6 | Fashion Spree | 6 | Grant Buckley | Terry Evans | 57kg | $21.00 |
| 3rd | 1 | Atadcheeky | 7 | Zac Wadick | Glen Milligan | 59kg | $21.00 |
| 4th | 10 | Strasbelle | 1 | Mollie Fitzgerald | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 57kg | $4.80 |
| 5th | 2 | Bobby | 5 | Jean Van Overmeire | P M Perry | 59kg | $13.00 |
| 6th | 9 | Rock'n On Uptown | 10 | Carlos Antonio | 57kg | $61.00 | |
| 7th | 3 | Clever Illusion | 11 | Lee Magorrian | P Cheers | 59kg | $101.00 |
| 8th | 5 | Birdy Girl | 3 | Ben Looker | G Prosser | 57kg | $9.00 |
| 9th | 8 | Luna Cruiser | 9 | Deon Le Roux | Jay Hopkins | 55kg | $31.00 |
| 10th | 7 | Kiss Of Gold | 4 | Ashley Morgan | Matthew Smith | 57kg | $1.70 |
| Scr | 4 | What A Gent | 8 | Andrew Gibbons | T J Bartley | 59kg |
She has placed first-up before, has soft-track form (3 starts, one second), draws barrier 2 at a track where inside gates and forward positions win sprints, and carries just 55kg. The 148-day freshen and Gibbons' cold Tuncurry record are the only real reservations.
Mikayla Weir is riding at 30% strike over her last 20. The obvious flaw is 21 starts without a win, and barrier 12 at a track that punishes wide gates makes the winning task harder again.
The Snowden yard rarely travels to Tuncurry without purpose, barrier 5 is a genuine positive, and removal of the lugging bit points to a cleaner effort.
Last Metaphor was a close-up third at Taree over 1000m on a Soft 5 just nine days ago, beaten two lengths, and returns with the same fitness edge into an equally ordinary maiden. She draws barrier 3, maps to sit on the speed, and carries only 55kg — exactly the profile Tuncurry sprints reward.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 5 | Love You Anyway | 12 | Mikayla Weir | B G Lawrence | 57kg | $9.00 |
| 2nd | 14 | Pomelo Chamomile | 2 | Andrew Gibbons | K A Lees | 55kg | $2.50 |
| 3rd | 6 | Qui Rouge | 13 | Anna Roper | Jake Hull | 57kg | $9.00 |
| 4th | 3 | Apache Command | 4 | Gabrielle Johnston | G J Preston | 55kg | $51.00 |
| 5th | 4 | Dream A Little | 11 | Ashley Morgan | Jay Hopkins | 57kg | $15.00 |
| 6th | 8 | Cosmic Jive | 5 | Ben Looker | Paul Snowden | 56.5kg | $2.70 |
| 7th | 10 | Velocette | 10 | Jean Van Overmeire | Allan Kehoe | 56.5kg | $31.00 |
| 8th | 12 | Dynamic Diva | 9 | Grant Buckley | A P Ball | 55kg | $20.00 |
| 9th | 7 | Songbird Yessiree | 1 | Deon Le Roux | Jay Hopkins | 55kg | $31.00 |
| 10th | 1 | Our Bully | 7 | Chad Lever | M N Howard | 59kg | $101.00 |
| 11th | 2 | Smooth Red | 6 | Zac Wadick | C Karakatsanis | 59kg | $31.00 |
| 12th | 9 | Tick | 8 | Allan Kehoe | 56.5kg | $61.00 | |
| Scr | 11 | Cool Art | 14 | Heavelon Van Der Hoven | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 55kg | |
| Scr | 13 | Last Metaphor | 3 | Kacie Adams | Darren Treacy | 55kg |
The most reliable and best-credentialled Class 1 horse in the race. Proven on soft ground with a win and two placings from five wet starts, he handles 1000m and comes in fit and lightly weighted at 56.5kg. Tuncurry's tight circuit suits his ability to hold a forward position.
Placed twice from four soft-track starts. The negatives are real: 60kg top weight on rain-affected ground, barrier 8 on this tight circuit, and no prior 1000m form.
Snowden and Looker is a strong provincial combination. The barrier is the problem: gate 13 on Tuncurry's tight 1400m circuit with a 250m straight is a genuine handicap, and the local sample shows middle barriers winless.
Genuine each-way value. Her distance record reads 3 starts for a win, a second and a third. Critically, she is drawn barrier 6 inside the favoured band and maps on-pace at a track where leaders dominate.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Issy's Star | 8 | William A Stanley | K A Lees | 60kg | $2.90 |
| 2nd | 4 | Triple Yes | 7 | Olivia Dalton | Liam Ruddy | 57kg | $6.00 |
| 3rd | 3 | The Warrior | 11 | Jean Van Overmeire | P M Perry | 59kg | $4.20 |
| 4th | 8 | Dirty Does It | 9 | Anna Roper | R J Agnew | 56.5kg | $5.00 |
| 5th | 11 | Cheating Lilibet | 10 | Madeline Owen | Ms K Owen | 55kg | $14.00 |
| 6th | 9 | Leuca | 6 | Grant Buckley | Allan Kehoe | 55kg | $12.00 |
| 7th | 2 | Don't | 14 | R J Agnew | 59kg | $14.00 | |
| 8th | 15 | Helen's Crown | 5 | Zac Wadick | M N Howard | 55kg | $91.00 |
| 9th | 14 | Pongola | 4 | Grace Palmer | H R Dew | 52kg | $151.00 |
| 10th | 6 | Drumshanbo | 12 | Angel Brennan | Terry Evans | 54kg | $19.00 |
| Scr | 5 | Jade Trees | 15 | Grady Spokes | B J Dodson | 56kg | |
| Scr | 7 | La Potenza | 4 | Brett & Georgie Cavanough | 57kg | ||
| Scr | 10 | Miss Trump | 13 | Ben Looker | Paul Snowden | 55kg | |
| Scr | 12 | Cool Az Aletta | 2 | Molly Bourke | A P Ball | 55kg | |
| Scr | 13 | Hoo Haa | 1 | Kacie Adams | Darren Treacy | 55kg | |
| Scr | 16 | Cats Quarters | 3 | Teighan Worsnop | M J Robinson | 55kg |
The most reliable form line in the race. Damascus Gate ran second over this exact trip on Soft 6 eleven days ago in the same grade, has won at Tuncurry over 1400m, and holds a genuine wet record with three soft-track wins from 20 starts. In a race the map says will be slowly run with only one genuine leader, his tactical speed from barrier five lets him sit in the first three and control the run to the short Tuncurry straight, which is exactly the profile the track rewards.
The progressive runner of the race and the type Tuncurry rewards, a lightly raced four-year-old mare with only six starts against a field of exposed veterans. Ben Looker is a meaningful upgrade in the saddle and the light weight helps. The trip is the only genuine question, since she is unproven past 1312m, which is why she rates just behind the topweight rather than ahead of him.
The clear negative is the surface: fifteen starts on soft going without a win, only a second and a third. That, plus a 6 percent career strike rate, keeps him as a placing chance rather than a winning one.
A consistent, improving type who keeps finding the frame without converting. Barrier 11 is the main tactical concern at Tuncurry where wide trips are costly. Best treated as a place proposition.
The overlay in the race. The map is the key: he is one of only a handful with the speed to be forward from barrier 7 in a race the tempo read says will be slowly run with one genuine leader, and Tuncurry's short straight rewards being there at the 400m.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 10 | Mosgiel Crystal | 8 | Ben Looker | M J Robinson | 57.5kg | $4.00 |
| 2nd | 15 | Nugget Smart | 9 | Ben Blay | 56kg | $6.00 | |
| 3rd | 12 | Nulkaba Star | 7 | Mollie Fitzgerald | J A Sylvester | 57kg | $21.00 |
| 4th | 5 | Explosive Tycoon | 3 | Amelia Heinrich | A P Ball | 58kg | $11.00 |
| 5th | 8 | Smart Jazz | 14 | Jenny Duggan | J A Sylvester | 58.5kg | $7.50 |
| 6th | 1 | Damascus Gate | 5 | Juliet Partridge | Carlos Antonio | 61kg | $3.20 |
| 7th | 14 | Hillbilly Hippie | 2 | Zac Wadick | Colt Prosser | 55kg | $17.00 |
| 8th | 9 | Purple Kitty | 1 | Peter Graham | P Cheers | 58kg | $11.00 |
| 9th | 4 | Capzinzi | 4 | Grady Spokes | Sally Taylor | 59kg | $31.00 |
| Scr | 2 | Ensign Parker | 12 | A D Smith | 62.5kg | ||
| Scr | 3 | Bjorn Ironside | 13 | Olivia Dalton | Colt Prosser | 59.5kg | |
| Scr | 6 | Phoenix Power | 6 | Kacie Adams | Darren Treacy | 59kg | |
| Scr | 7 | Dreymon | 11 | Izzy Neale | A D Smith | 57kg | |
| Scr | 11 | Nikody's Binks | 15 | Raymond Spokes | P Cheers | 57.5kg | |
| Scr | 13 | Whiskers | 10 | Ashley Morgan | P J Kelly | 56kg |
He beat Hibiki Harmony by three lengths when winning the Dubbo Open on Heavy 9 a fortnight ago at the same relative weights, and his 5-from-15 record is comfortably the best strike rate here. He has already won over 1500m and is proven on rain-affected ground. Gate 5 gives Bell the option to press forward, which is exactly the profile that wins at tight, short-straight Tuncurry.
The most reliable runner in the race on raw consistency - 26 starts for 5 wins and 6 seconds with a 42% place rate. Her soft-track record of 3 wins from 9 and her 1500m record of 2 wins from 4 are the strongest condition-and-distance credentials on offer. Barrier 1 is a genuine asset at Tuncurry.
A last-start Open winner at Casino who beat He's A Copy Boy and carries the winning rider again. Add a 2kg rise and an untried trip, and he rates a solid placing chance rather than a confident winner.
The overlay of the race. Danish Fortune is the only runner with a win at Tuncurry, and his 22-start soft-track record for 5 wins is the strongest wet profile in the field.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | House Of Cards | 4 | Grady Spokes | B J Dodson | 57kg | $4.80 |
| 2nd | 5 | Hibiki Harmony | 1 | Chad Lever | Brett & Georgie Cavanough | 57kg | $5.00 |
| 3rd | 7 | Rothrock | 2 | William A Stanley | P M Perry | 56kg | $17.00 |
| 4th | 8 | Tact | 12 | Ashley Morgan | J C Deamer | 55kg | $7.00 |
| 5th | 6 | Navy Steel | 5 | Mitchell Bell | Brett & Georgie Cavanough | 57kg | $2.90 |
| 6th | 9 | Run Rory Run | 7 | Grant Buckley | A P Ball | 55kg | $26.00 |
| 7th | 13 | Seething Chuck | 11 | Madeline Owen | Ms K Owen | 55kg | $61.00 |
| 8th | 1 | Danish Fortune | 6 | Gabrielle Johnston | Joel Wilkes | 61kg | $7.50 |
| 9th | 11 | Xtra Approval | 9 | Molly Bourke | A P Ball | 55kg | $18.00 |
| 10th | 12 | Strobing | 10 | Amelia Heinrich | A P Ball | 53kg | $26.00 |
| Scr | 2 | Substantial | 13 | Jean Van Overmeire | Fabio Martino | 61kg | |
| Scr | 4 | Jacenza | 3 | Mikayla Weir | R P Northam | 57.5kg | |
| Scr | 10 | He's A Copy Boy | 8 | Samantha McGuren | 55kg |
Cresta Run has run 2nd, 4th and 4th at Bench. She maps to sit just off a very fast tempo, which suits a horse with a 47% place rate. Bell's 20% strike rate for the stable adds confidence. Wet-track record is a mild query but four soft runs have produced three placings.
Debussy beat a Bench. The 60kg impost and a soft record of 19 starts for 1 win temper enthusiasm, but the map and class edge make him the main danger.
Speck is the field's best proven wet-track sprinter - 11 soft-track starts have produced 4 wins and 2 placings, and 13 runs at 1000m have yielded 5 wins. 74 at Tamworth on Soft 7 and second in Bench. 82. The class relief here is real. Barrier 10 at Tuncurry is the concern and the jockey booking is unproven, which is why she rates third rather than higher.
Magorrian retains the ride and has a Tuncurry winner to his name. The class rise from Bench.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 10 | Grassburn | 6 | Mollie Fitzgerald | M J Robinson | 55kg | $6.00 |
| 2nd | 11 | The Piccolino | 3 | Anna Roper | P M Perry | 55kg | $11.00 |
| 3rd | 5 | Grey Effects | 7 | Lee Magorrian | Colt Prosser | 58.5kg | $3.80 |
| 4th | 13 | Where's The Fire | 4 | Amelia Heinrich | A P Ball | 53kg | $26.00 |
| 5th | 7 | Cool Fizz | 13 | Grady Spokes | B J Dodson | 55kg | $5.50 |
| 6th | 3 | Debussy | 2 | Grant Buckley | A P Ball | 60kg | $13.00 |
| 7th | 6 | Cresta Run | 9 | Mitchell Bell | Brett & Georgie Cavanough | 58kg | $4.00 |
| 8th | 9 | Altercation | 12 | Ashley Morgan | J C Deamer | 55kg | $8.50 |
| 9th | 12 | Pearls Treasure | 1 | Deon Le Roux | P M Perry | 53kg | $26.00 |
| 10th | 1 | Ostracised | 11 | Olivia Dalton | G Prosser | 60.5kg | $91.00 |
| Scr | 2 | Speck | 10 | Matt Kirk | R P Northam | 58.5kg | |
| Scr | 4 | What A Rush | 8 | R N Godbolt | 59.5kg | ||
| Scr | 8 | Bold And Blazen | 14 | Chad Lever | Peter D Green | 55.5kg | |
| Scr | 14 | Cassie's Lad | 5 | Jay Hopkins | 55kg |
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